On the job
by paulinemcc
Summary: It's time for the rookies to take part in yet another tradition at 15 Division.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1**

Best stood at his spot in the parade room and eyed his officers about to start the day shift. "So get out there protect and serve. And don't screw up." He told them, making eye contact where he could. He hadn't been Staff Sergeant long but so far it was working out. The white shirt and the pay bump were nice and he was getting used to them. "Dismissed."

As the detectives left the room for their own desks and the uniforms wandered over to check the board for their assignments Frank got some company out front. "Rookies." He said loudly making heads turn back his way. "Stay seated." He told them.

Andy and Traci gave each other questioning looks before sitting back down beside each other. Chris and Dov took the desk one over from them and Gail took a seat at the back, her break up with Chris sending her back out of the inner circle.

As the room emptied of everyone else Frank cleared his throat and turned to the man stood beside him. "This is Detective Donovan Boyd, he works narcotics and every so often we run a scavenger hunt with the new rookies here at 15, but I'll let Boyd fill you in."

Donovan stood there with all the eyes on him. He wasn't sure how this group measured up but being at 15 meant they were supposed to be the best the academy had to offer. Despite a couple of blips they'd all passed their evaluations which meant they should be ready for this.

"It's real simple, we drop you off in the middle of Nowhereville, no wallet, no money, no guns, no phones. We'll give you a bus token, and at any time, if it becomes too hard, you can just flag down a cab and have them brink you back here." He scowled at the faces in front of him. "Let me be clear, if you make that cab ride then you are at the wrong station." He let that comment sit with them for a while as he openly glared at each rookie in turn.

Frank eased back over as he saw more than one panicked look. He smiled at his rookies. "This is tradition, and just like Fight Nite, 15 Division has a reputation to uphold. Listen to instructions, go home and get some sleep then come back in here by six." Frank nodded then started for the door.

Gail frowned. She remembered Steve bitch about something like this because he hadn't been allowed to take part. Their father had just reminded Steve that he was a Peck, and if he wanted to make a name for himself to do it by making arrests, not by playing games with his superiors.

So there had to be a mistake with her being sat there. "Sir?" She asked softly, catching Frank's attention just before he could leave.

Frank quirked an eyebrow at Gail and waited.

"Am I? I mean, are you sure I should-"

"No special treatment Peck, you can't handle it, you take a ride." Frank told her then pushed through the door to get to his office. He was now short five officers and if that wasn't bad enough it was Friday. He could have strangled Boyd for picking the busiest night of the week to send his rookies out there but in a way Donovan was right, it would test their characters.

Gail slumped in her chair a little as she saw Dov shaking his head in front of her. The rest of the room had obviously just heard that conversation which made it sound like she was asking to be excused from taking part.

Which wasn't the case at all, she was just wondering _why_ she was being allowed to take part in the first place.

Donovan sat on the front desk and offered a smile. "The objective for those of you capable of handling yourself out there without someone there to hold your hand," He eyed Gail for a moment then smirked at the rest of the rookies. "Is to bring back as much contraband as you can; guns, drugs, money-"

"What?" Andy asked in surprise. "How are we supposed to do that?" She asked in concern. The few times they had been involved in operations that dealt with big hauls of contraband they were placed firmly on the outskirts. How were they supposed to get their hands on anything illegal?

They were cops. They didn't do illegal.

"Stop with the whining." Boyd to them impatiently. "And I don't _care_ how you do it, you want to be cops so go out there and be cops." He informed them. "By now you should be able to figure out who sells and where they sell, use what you know, know what you don't know. That clear enough for you?"

Dov snorted quietly to himself. "Crystal."

Donovan clapped his hands. "Good then we're done, come back in here for six, anyone not up to it, stay home, we'll find a division more suited for you." He told them then waved his hands at them in a shooing motion.

They all scattered and he finally let himself sigh. He really wasn't sure about this bunch. McNally and Diaz had almost screwed up his case against Bergen and the Landry gang. Luckily that had been salvaged by Sam and by turning Lessing into a snitch. Which was still paying off for him.

So maybe he could let that slide and he'd go off of tonights performance.

"So, what do you think?"

Donovan looked up to see Frank stood back in the doorway. He shrugged. "Not a clue." He said then Frank came in followed by a few of the more seasoned officers and Detectives Barber and Callaghan.

Luke took a seat, unknowingly at the desk Gail had been sat at. "They'll be okay." He offered.

"Even Peck?" Sam asked.

"You think they still need babysat?" Donovan asked with a scoff. "They've been cut loose for over three months now, if they can't handle tonight then bump them back with TO's or kick them out." The division didn't need cops that had to be spoon fed how to do their jobs.

Shaking his head Donovan got up and walked out. "I'll be back later for a quick brief with them before I dump out in the burbs somewhere."

Sam watched the detective go, his mind still not made up about the undercover job Boyd wanted him on. He still had time to think about it but maybe the time away would give him a fresh start with Andy when he got back.

"Okay well my money's on Nash." Noelle cut in getting straight to the point of them being there and counting out five twenty dollar bills that she slapped down onto the table.

Oliver grinned and pulled out his own wallet. "Oh no, not a chance, my money is on Epstein." He said dropping another hundred dollars down onto the growing pile.

"McNally." Sam cut in not able to leave it alone when he could score a direct hit with Callaghan.

Luke snorted but got his wallet out and made his way over to the pot. "Peck." He said as he added his own contribution.

Jerry scowled. "I thought you didn't want her taking part?" He said as he put down a hundred. "And I'll happily split that with you Noelle." He winked at the officer.

Luke shrugged. He didn't think Gail should be sent out on the scavenger hunt but that hadn't been his decision to make. If Frank was happy enough to risk the wrath of the Superintendent if anything went wrong then that was just fine by him, maybe he'd even make some money out of it. "She's still a Peck."

Sam eyed the detective as he left the room. A few other cops added to the pot before heading off for their own work leaving the rookie's TO's and Frank still in the room.

No one had bet on Diaz.

"Poor Chris." Oliver said with a smile. He liked the kid he just didn't think he was going to get out of a uniform. If he tried really hard he might one day become a TO but Oliver had his doubts.

Noelle tried not to laugh. While she put her money on Nash she was guessing because of where the rookie had grown up. Another few months with a decent pay cheque and maybe she'd get out of the projects but there wasn't a doubt in Noelle's mind that Nash would be able to spot a dealer. It just came down to who'd be better at stealing or playing their way into obtaining some drugs.

"He'll be fine." Frank added. He'd reviewed all of the rookie's personal files, gone over the few mistakes they had made and decided that they'd all be capable of handling themselves on the streets for a night.

No one said they had to do anything stupid. And as much as they said they had to come back with contraband Frank knew from experience that they'd be lucky to get anything back to the station beyond a few ounces of class B come tomorrow morning.

It was a rite of passage, just like getting the rookies to work as prostitutes on their first undercover work. It was baby steps towards becoming seasoned professionals. This was just another of those steps. Not that all divisions did this with their rookies, it was really only a competition between 15 and 27 because they got the top preforming cadets from the academy.

And the only ones that paid really close attention were the bosses in the big building.

Sometimes a rookie would offer something different, and this was one of those opportunities to do just that. Nothing about this would end up on any of their jackets but when it came to undercover operations, task forces, or trainee detective rotations, a good performance tonight could be that leg up they needed to advance.

Frank gathered in the money. "Okay, you all have work to get on with so get to it." He told them.

Sam lingered.

"What?" Frank asked as they were left alone.

Sam shrugged. "They won't have anyone watching their backs tonight."

"Boyd was right, you've got to let go sometime Sammy." Frank said before patting his friend on the shoulder and walking out of the room.

Sam sighed but got up to find Williams. They were riding together today. He wondered if she'd be feeling as nervous as he was.

The truth was he didn't know how well Andy would cope on her own, she'd been made as a cop when she'd been catching John's on the prowl, if she got made tonight no one would be there to help her get out of it.

It was going to be a long twenty-four hours.

xxxxxx

Andy glanced around the table she was sat at with Traci, Chris and Dov. "Aren't you guys excited?" She asked, practically bouncing in her seat as she thought about going out there tonight.

Traci grunted and sipped at her coffee. Her mother hadn't taken her phone call earlier too well, she'd had to cancel plans to stay in and watch Leo tonight. "I don't know." The part of the plan she kept getting stuck on was the no money. If they had no money to buy drugs how else were they supposed to get their hands on it?

Drug dealers didn't exactly just hand their stash of product over to anyone that asked.

That was likely to get them beaten up or worse.

"Come on Trace, this is going to be great." Dov said, he was just as pleased with the detail as Andy was. "This is our chance to prove ourselves. Show that we can work the streets, blend in, and do a little sleuthing."

"And stealing." Chris cut in sounding as unhappy with that prospect as he looked. He eyed the others. "We're cops, we're not supposed to break the law like this."

Dov scoffed at his friend. "Please, this is just a game." He offered.

Chris didn't look convinced.

Dov sighed. "Tell you what, why don't you and I work together and Traci and Andy can too. It's be like girls versus boys."

Traci grinned. "Who gets Frostie?"

Chris swallowed his still hot coffee but said nothing. The thing between Dov and Gail was still eating at him and although he'd forgiven Dov and eventually made some sort of peace with Gail, it had cost him his girlfriend. He still liked Gail but he just couldn't trust her again.

Dov kept his expression neutral as he felt Chris eye him. He offered Traci a shrug. "She's a Peck, I'm sure she can handle it on her own."

The blonde had changed out of her uniform and left the station before any of them. She obviously wanted nothing to do with them and he was okay with that. He'd always known she thought she was better than they were and her comments to Frank had proven it once again.

"Maybe she'll take that cab ride or better yet, she'll have mommy and daddy call Frank." He added bitterly.

Chris scowled but wasn't in the mood to listen to more crap about Gail being a Peck, he'd heard it all through the academy and he still had to listen to it. Gail was a good cop, and Dov wasn't fooling anyone about how jealous he was of her.

"I'm going to bed." He said as he stood up.

He wasn't sure how it would go out there. He just planned to do his best, even if it made him uncomfortable.

Dov watched his friend leave then sighed.

"He still hung up on her?" Andy asked softly. "But I thought he was the one to break it off?" She asked in confusion.

Dov winced. "It's complicated."

Traci rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you didn't try sleeping with Peck they'd still be together."

Andy blew out a breath. How had she missed that? "Is that true?" She asked turning to Dov.

Making a face Dov wiggled his hand. "Kinda." He admitted. "But I was high and out of my mind, which Chris totally understands now."

Traci shook her head. Dov had had a crush on Gail Peck since their first day of the academy together. He wasn't fooling anyone. That was probably the real reason Chris had broke it off, not wanting to loose Gail and Dov.

"We should get going anyway." She said as she gathered her jacket. Is was going to be a cold night and some sleep was probably a good idea, they'd need to keep their head if they were going to pull off the scavenger hunt.

Andy scrambled to her feet as well. "We'll see you tonight." She said pulling on her jacket and following Traci who was giving her a ride today.

xxxxxx

Her parents' cars were missing when Gail pulled into the long driveway, so as usual no one was home when Gail walked inside. Which was a blessing really because explaining why all of her things were sitting in the back of her car wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

Especially if they insisted she move back in, because hell would have to freeze over before she ate that humble pie. She'd had to endure hearing all about Chris Diaz's background and how Elaine had him pegged as a career beat cop if he didn't screw up and get kicked out before he reached retirement.

Admitting that they'd been broken up for weeks would just be another failure her mother could hold over her head.

Yeah, that wasn't happening.

The house was cold enough to make Gail shiver as she walked through the entrance and headed towards the den. She walked through it and into the small office her father used when he worked from home.

She sat down and waited for the desktop to boot up. The password wasn't rocket science, Steve had figured it out when he'd been fifteen and it had never changed in all the times she'd used it.

William Peck

How arrogant did someone have to be to use their own name as their computer password?

It played right into all the comments she heard about Peck's being an over privileged dynasty that should have been past it's sell by date.

The only problem with trying to end the Peck reign in the Toronto police force was that there was just so damn many of them. Right now Gail had a cousin about to head to the academy and when he graduated he'd be one of almost forty members of the family still wearing the badge.

But Gail was trying not to care.

She was used to being the outsider, used to having no one to talk to at the academy, to eat with, so being frozen out at the station again was nothing new.

She'd been the idiot that thought things had started to change. That she was finally part of the group, but now she knew that had all been down to Chris.

And with Chris gone the others quickly stopped talking to her.

She should have seen that coming.

But she hadn't and that hurt.

The screen cleared and she connected to the network from the central building under her father's account. It wasn't the first time she'd used it and it probably wouldn't be the last.

She logged into a section and typed in a query.

Besides, her parents would have approved. Calling it initiative.

Her request returned a list of six files, she watched as more started to load into the open window on her screen.

"Great." She muttered with a sigh, before getting up to go get herself something to drink and some snacks. When she returned the list had grown to almost eighty case files. She picked up a can of soda and opened it before she clicked into the first file.

She had a couple of hours to try and form a solid plan for tonight, and then maybe she'd get to show Epstein and the rest that she was more than just a name.

She pulled over a writing pad and started making notes.

xxxxxx

 **AN/**

I know, I know, but I just can't help it.

I _think_ there's only five parts to this so that's something, right? Next part will be up at the weekend.

Thanks for reading ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Boyd pulled the van to a stop and turned to face the crowd he'd squeezed into the back. He still felt that the rookies looked unprepared and that it was going to be a disaster. But it was too late now.

"Alright, everybody out." They all had their bus token on them and not much else besides the clothes on their backs. Phones, wallets and even their house keys had all been lest in Best's office drawer.

The rookies scrambled up out of their seats and onto the sidewalk, not without a few misplaced elbows and feet. Donovan rolled his eyes at the commotion. Luckily they were all in plain clothes and dressed for the cold night ahead of them. So that suggested they might have functioning brain cells in there somewhere.

"You get one more piece of advice from me, whatever cover story you come up with tonight, keep it simple and stick to it." His breath condensed into a mist with the coldness of the air as he spoke to the rookies stood next to his door. All eager looking puppies. Except Peck, she stood back from the four around him and scowled under the hood she was wearing. He wanted to sneer at them but instead he just shook his head and drove away. They'd make it work or they wouldn't, he'd find out in a few hours.

Traci shivered as a light snow started to fall. She put a smile on and turned to Andy. "Where to now?" She asked.

Dov pulled a flat cap from his pocket and put it on and started walking.

Andy, Chris and Traci all shared a confused look as they watched Dov walk away.

"Isn't that the way to the airport?" Chris called out.

"Yeah Dov, the city's this way." Traci added.

Dov chuckled and turned to them, then stopped and scowled at Chris until his roommate jogged over to him. "They run a shuttle service." He informed the others before starting back around.

Chris shrugged back at the girls before doing his best to keep up with Dov.

"Well he's right." Andy said, although she was still clearly confused.

Traci shrugged, not too bothered with what Dov was up to. He obviously had some kind of game plan, but then so did she. "Come on."

Andy shrugged off thoughts of what Dov and Chris were up to and walked with Traci in the opposite direction. She could see a housing project not too far off in the distance and stuck her hands into her pockets to keep warm.

After about thirty yards Andy stopped walking and turned back to look at the spot Boyd had dropped them off.

"What?" Traci asked impatiently, already tired of the weather. She hadn't had much sleep before Leo had gotten home.

"Where'd Gail go?" Andy asked, puzzled by the blonde's absence.

Traci grunted and turned back to continue her walking. "Who cares?!" She muttered.

Andy sighed, with Gail being a Peck she thought she might have had a few tricks up her sleeve. The only thing her father had taught her was how to pick locks, because he sometimes didn't come home to let her in while she'd been younger. And how to get out of handcuffs with her earrings.

She also knew she didn't want to be an alcoholic like he was.

She was going to make him proud though. Whatever it took.

"Do we have a plan?" She asked as they got closer to the housing development and saw a few cars driving around. "Think we could get a lift?"

Traci snorted. "And never be seen or heard from again?" She had a young son to get home to after this, she wasn't doing anything stupid tonight.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Andy sighed. "I guess." That had been a rash suggestion, they weren't headed into the nice part of Toronto. They'd both have to be careful about what they said and did.

"And we do have a game plan." Traci added after she laughed at Andy's crestfallen look.

"And that would be…what exactly?"

Traci grinned as she spotted exactly what she'd been hoping for. Liquor stores would be a dime a dozen soon, but the type of bar she was looking for were just a little harder to find. But it looked like they'd lucked out.

"Ever play pool before McNally?" Traci asked with a pleased look as she decided they might be the team to beat tonight.

Andy winced. She'd been a fairly sport addicted kid growing up but only if it involved teams and a field. "No."

Traci swung her arm around her friend's shoulders and let out a dramatic sigh. "Then maybe I'll let you just stand there looking pretty and hold my winnings all night."

Andy grinned, she could sit and look pretty, maybe even throw a few guys off their shots by flirting a little.

Money meant they'd be able to get their hands on drugs.

If they could find a drug dealer.

xxxxxx

Gail hated the cold, it made her scowl and think mean thoughts. What she wanted to be doing is sitting in a warm room, which definitely wasn't car shaped, and watching something stupid on TV while she drank alcoholic beverages and threw popcorn at all the lovey dovey things that happened.

Love was just a lie. It wasn't real. It was fake. She just had to look at her own parents to see that. There was no way their marriage was anything but an agreement between two people more interested in being behind an office desk than at home.

Fake.

Just like friends. Only around when they wanted something from you. She should have seen that coming. The way Dov acted around her, like she was nothing but a privileged Peck, yet dope him up on strong painkillers and he was professing his undying love to her.

Yeah, Chris could keep the dweeb and their stinking apartment.

She didn't need them anyway.

Scowl still in place Gail made her way around another corner and onto another street that didn't have the best lighting. Tonight that worked for her but part of her felt disgusted as well, a broken street light on her parents street would get fixed the same day it was reported, but in a neighbourhood like this, there was no rush. The maintenance crew probably would have said they were waiting on a part when it was mostly down to a case of why repair one when we can wait a few weeks or months and get two or three at the same time.

No one wanted to live near an airport, except the hotels, everyone else was there for the cheap, subsidised rent. While most of the people in the homes on the street Gail was on might work, that work would mostly likely be minimum wage, and even then if there was mouths to feed at home it wouldn't even feel like that.

Maybe Gail was privileged. She'd gone to college, travelled around Europe, so yeah, she did have a better upbringing than most people. But part of that was an accident of birth, the rest of it she had worked hard for.

No one mentioned that she'd topped the graduating class of rookies to get her spot at 15 Division, no one mentioned that you don't just speak four other languages overnight, five if you counted sign, no, Gail was just a Peck to everyone.

And as Noelle had told her, she'd get no special treatment just because of her parents.

They had to get that dig in straight of the bat. Gail might have respected the woman a bit more if she'd given her the benefit of the doubt and waited to see if she asked for favours first.

Not that she would have.

And then Noelle had mentioned her mother when they'd been partnered. Noelle had admired Elaine for working hard to making Superintendent. Being a successful woman in a male dominated club.

Gail scoffed to herself at the hypocrisy, her mother could work hard, but Gail had been looking for favours? How exactly did that work?

Grumbling to herself Gail turned down another street, this time looking for the address she remembered from her list. The list that was now at the station with the rest of her things. She'd forgot about that little detail. Now she just had her memory to work form, luckily for Gail her Peck upbringing meant her memory was going to be good enough.

A car backfiring startled Gail, she turned and watched as a couple a dark skinned boys got out of a car and disappeared into a garden to sit down on the stoop. Someone lit up the porch and came out to greet them, music blearing momentarily until the front door closed back over.

Huddling a little closer to herself Gail started walking again only to slow when she saw a squad car drive towards her. Never before had that sight made her nervous, even when it was because her parents had sent one to pick her up. But right now Gail uneasy as she tilted her head away from the road as it passed by, grateful that her dark hoodie kept her blonde head from being noticeable. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself.

Then she heard shouting and a bottle smash.

She paused, a little afraid to look back but then she heard the sound of laughter and she chanced a quick look. The squad car was gone and that let her relax.

Another hundred yards or so and Gail paused again, this time outside a more run down looking home where the fencing was half lying in the yard and the car parts littered about the drive way along with a shopping trolley.

Gail took a breath and made sure no one was around before walking onto the property and around to the back of the house. The back yard was just as dishevelled as the front, obviously neglected by the owners, who had more pressing interests, like selling drugs out of their home.

A final check just to make sure there was no nosey neighbour to scare her off Gail walked up to the back door, and with a gloved hand, opened the door. She only paused for a second before stepping inside to get on with why she was there. The first thing she did, once she determine no one else was in the house, was check every drawer in the kitchen.

The couple, regulars for possession, and for sales, had been arrested only last week. They officers had found them cutting up their drugs on the kitchen table and that had been that.

Gail was here because she hoped the couple hadn't been that stupid. That maybe they had another stash hidden somewhere around the house.

She hadn't just picked this house because the owners had been arrested and were known junkies, but because Gail had read the report and noticed that drug dogs hadn't searched the property thoroughly.

Cops would look in all the places they get trained to as well as the ones they learned from experience. But dealers weren't all moronic and the more you got caught with the more jail time you did, so of course it made sense to have it hidden somewhere nearby.

Maybe even in multiple places. That way if you were raided by the cops or other dealers, when they found something they might assume that was all there was leaving others as a backup supply.

The real trouble Gail had was that an abandoned home couldn't suddenly have lights turned on, which meant if she couldn't find a light source in the first or second house she tried, she'd have to rework her plans for the night.

And that wasn't an option.

Failure was not an option. Not for a Peck. Not for Gail.

xxxxxx

Chris stood by the door, exactly where Dov had pushed him before hissing stay at him. They'd had to wait almost a half hour and that had been after the walk to the arrivals building of the airport, but now they were on a shuttle bus going from the airport to several nearby hotels.

As the bus stopped out front of another hotel lobby, several passengers got up and grabbed their luggage to get off and had to manoeuvre around Chris who tried to flatten himself to one side but never gave up his spot by the door.

Chris endured more than a few unfriendly comments from tired travellers wanting to get to their hotel room. "Sorry." He muttered even as he took a hit to his shin from a suitcase. He winced and flushed red as the woman glared at him for being in the way.

"Let's go." Dov said as he quickly stepped from the bus after the last passenger and pulled Chris out with him, using Chris' taller body to push something against.

Chris grabbed at it only to look down and see a rucksack in his arms. His eyes widened as he glanced nervously to the people around them, and the few hotel staff that had come out to help collect bags.

"You stole this!" He hissed at his friend. Stealing from drug dealers was one thing, but innocent members of the public? That was wrong.

"Quiet." Dov snapped back at his friend, watching as the owner remained seat in his seat glued to his cell phone as the shuttle bus left to visit the next hotel on its route.

Pleased with himself Dov quickly to back possession of the bag and opened it up. The main compartment had some toiletries, a scarf, and a sweater, so that wasn't great. But as he checked an outer pocket he grinned. "Ha!" He pulled out the wallet and flashed to Chris who looked on disapprovingly.

Dov rolled his eyes but kept hold of the wallet. He then glanced around and saw the taxis waiting for work. He slapped Chris in the chest and pointed. "Let's go." On the way over Dov pulled the cash from the wallet and tucked it into his jeans then returned the wallet to the bag and placed the bag on one of the trolleys the hotel staff had brought out. He watched it be wheeled into the lobby of the hotel with the rest of the visitor bags.

The guy might lose a couple of hundred bucks but Dov wasn't completely heartless.

He'd left the travellers cheques alone.

"I don't know about this." Chris muttered as they waited for the cab to pull up to them.

Dov rolled his eyes. "You want to win this right?" He asked and waited for Chris to give a reluctant nod. "Then tonight forget that we're cops and just play the game."

Chris let out a breath then sighed and followed his friend into the taxi. But tomorrow he was going to come back here, in his uniform and find the guy to return his bag.

And his stolen money.

"Where to?" The cabbie asked.

Dov pursed his lips then said, "Prohibition, it's a bar on Queens and Broadview."

The cab driver started the meter running and turned out of the hotel driveway.

Chris frowned, Dov's location had seemed oddly specific. "Why there?"

Dov shrugged then reached over and messed with Chris' hair. "Just hoping to run into someone I knew in another life." Chris batted his hand away. Dov sighed and dropped his voice, "I need you to look like you're tweeking if this is going to work."

Chris glared at his friend, his past was in the past and Dov had no right bringing it up.

"That wasn't what I meant." Dov told him before shifting back over onto his own side of the seat.

Chris studied his friend closely for a minute before pulling his shirt out of his jeans and made his hair look scruffy. "This better be worth it." He muttered before he started rubbing at his eyes.

Dov grinned. "Oh it will." If the guy he was hoping to bump into was actually still around.

xxxxxx

Traci winced as she watched Andy flirting with a very drunk patron at the bar as she hustled two guys at the pool table.

So far she had nearly eighty bucks in her pocket. It wouldn't buy them much but she was hoping to find another few bars to hit before it got too late. After she and Andy got a little cash in their pockets they head further into town and maybe try a nightclub to see what they could score there.

She knew from Jerry that there was a few dodgy clubs they could try.

"First things first." She said as she lined up her shot. She pulled back the cue then smashed it forwards, sending the ball into the eight ball which sank into the far pocket. "Yeah!" She cried out, lifting the pool cur over her head in celebration.

Her opponents didn't look happy considering more than half of their balls were still on the table, but eventually they shook Traci's hand and left their share of the pot behind as they left the pool area in favour of the bar.

"How much did you make?" Andy asked as she came up and put down a beer, leaving the other to drink herself.

"Twenty bucks." Traci told her with a grin which dropped when she saw the drinks. "Tell me you aren't spending our money McNally?"

Andy shook her head with a smile. She turned and lifted her glass to someone at the bar then she turned back around to her friend. "Stan bought them for us."

"Stan?"

Andy shrugged and drank down some of her beer. She wasn't really planning on getting drunk but it was cold outside and they still had hours to go before they could go back to the station. Before they hit another bar Andy was hoping to convince Traci to find an all-night café somewhere to eat and drink something warm.

"Don't look now but I think someone wants your attention." Andy shifted back as a guy came up to the table and counted out a hundred dollars. She whistled before stepping back further, not wanting to give any kind of impressing that she would be playing.

Traci shared a quick look with Andy, trying to gauge whether or not to accept, it would risk all of the money they had made so far. Andy just shrugged back at her.

"Why not?" Traci said to the guy then started collecting the pool balls to set up for another game.

Once they had everything in place they tossed a coin to see who would break. He won and Traci shifted away from the table.

He never once smiled at Traci or even looked at Andy as he got into position.

Traci felt her stomach drop when he broke and scattered the pool balls around the table. Two dropped into pockets and a few others looked easy targets. It made Traci's stomach drop further, especially when he finally looked up at her and grinned.

She'd just been played at her own game.

"Damn." Andy muttered, impressed as another ball rolled into a pocket.

Traci narrowed her eyes at her friend before she took a seat. She figured it'd be a while before she got a chance to return to the table.

Another ball dropped and she winced.

xxxxxx

Gail jumped back as she saw a rat scurry past her. "Shit!" It made her drop the match she'd been using to see with plunging her into almost complete darkness. She growled and kicked out at the chair nearby in frustration. That had been her last match.

She missed the chair and almost sent herself to the floor as she unbalanced. "Great." She muttered as that about summed up her night.

She'd found a small baggie of weed under a bedside cabinet in her first house, but the second and third had brought her nothing but frustration. She'd checked as carefully as she could, kitchens and living spaces but working in dark conditions, then by the light of a match didn't exactly make her job easy.

The number of used needles she saw at the second crack house she'd tried hadn't lightened her mood any, causing her to go slow and be much more cautious in her searching. She really didn't want to have her night end with a trip to the ER with a needle stick. Who knows what she could catch in places like this.

Luckily her gloves offered her some protection but Gail was reconsidering her plans for coming up with some drugs for Boyd. It was after midnight now and with nothing to guide her searches anymore, she wasn't going to be able to try the next place.

Pulling a glove off she rubbed at her eyes. It had been a good plan but without the ability to do an exhaustive search at each location she was guessing. And it was getting her nowhere.

And now she had probably twenty dollars worth of weed in her possession and that wasn't going to impress anyone, least of all the other rookies.

She pawed around for the chair then sat down and put her head in her hands. Unless she wanted to break into someone's home and steal a torch to work by she was going to have to give up. And while stealing some left over contraband was guilty free Gail just couldn't do that to and unsuspecting member of the public.

She didn't want to cause people to be afraid in their own homes.

So where did that leave her?

She could slip in to her parents' home and take what she wanted but that was a long trip that would prove difficult if both her mother and father were home.

Her shoulder slumped at the prospect of giving up.

Her second option was the frat house and while doing that to Dov might be worth it, she could just picture the reaction from the rest of the rookies when they found out.

No, if Gail was going to get anywhere tonight she was going to have to figure out where she could get the tools to do the job right.

She did have a third option, and another house she knew that was currently lying empty that had everything she needed to pull a win out of the bag.

Gail chewed on her bottom lip as she recalled the folder she had found sitting beside her father's computer.

If she worked from that file it be more than enough to win this little charade she was taking part in tonight. It would also screw her brother over bigtime.

And the more she thought about that, the more it appealed to her.

If Steve was okay pulling out the Peck card with her to get her to dump Chris then she could use it too.

She could out Peck a Peck.

xxxxx

 **AN/**

We find Holly in the next chapter, or rather Gail does ;) which I'll try and get up by Wednesday.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

Gail flicked the light on in her brother's apartment. It had gone one in the morning and she was hungry, walking through to the kitchen she opened up the fridge and found it empty of everything but beer and strangely, a jar of pickles.

Closing it over she went for the pantry, surely her brother had to have something edible around. Steve was never much of a neat freak and coming home to find a fridge full of out of date, off smelling, food wasn't uncommon.

"Score." Gail muttered as she found a packet of biscuits, a half empty jar of peanut butter, and two bags of chips. Those would do in a pinch but she was definitely going to the café near the station as soon as this little game was over with.

She dropped her prizes onto the kitchen table before finding a spoon and going back to the fridge for a beer. One would be okay, but that was going to be her limit. Especially for tonight. If she did this she was going to need a clear head, but a little courage would help too.

Gail took her time eating, recharging and going over what her plan was for tonight. It was stupid really, she hadn't even made it to the six month mark at 15 and here she was thinking she could pull this off all on her own.

What the hell was she thinking?

It was insane.

But if she could do it, on her own without backup, and turn up at the station with the results?

It would beat anything the other rookies could pull off tonight. It would probably beat anything Boyd had seen before on a rookie scavenger hunt. Not only that but it would have the added benefit of pissing off her brother.

For that alone it was worth doing. Just so she could see the look on Steve's face.

With a smirk Gail finished another spoonful of the peanut butter then headed for her brother's office. She knew exactly what she was looking for and where it was kept. She stopped at the bookshelf behind the oak desk and slide aside a fake row of books, the mere fact that her brother had this book case was laughable. Steve wasn't a reader. But then it wasn't Steve that had decorated the house, it had been their mother. Not that she had done it herself, she had hired that same stylist that decorated the main house every other year or so.

But Gail knew the book shelf was her mom's touch to make her brother look more intelligent than he was. Not that he was an idiot academically, he had a college degree just like she did. But Steve had always view education as a quicker way of achieving his goal of becoming a detective.

The degree helped, but so too did the Peck name.

Gail entered the code, paused then opened the safe that was behind the panel. The gun case she was expecting was sat there along with some other stuff, documents, her brother's medal, and a few keepsakes that had been passed down to Steven from their grandfather.

But there was no porn stash or bag of weed. Nothing that you should find in people's safes. Money, jewellery, a severed head. But no, her brother kept family stuff, maybe some work stuff, and yeah, a deadly weapon.

Her brother was such a straight lace it was amazing he had any friends, besides Doug.

Gail had a lock safe, which currently lived in a compartment in the boot of her car, and only held her gun and a second magazine. That was it. But if she ever had a proper safe like Steve she wouldn't waste it with the boring stuff that should live at the bank, she'd use it for the really important things.

Like safekeeping the last bar of chocolate in the house. Or her cheese puffs. The items she truly valued in her life.

But that was just her. Steve she would let be boring. She's sure he picked up that habit from spending too much time with their parents.

The fool.

He'd end up just like them if he wasn't careful. And then who would she annoy at the gun range with her awesomeness?

He was lucky to have her around.

And after tonight maybe their parents might even sit up and take notice. She wasn't sure if they knew she was taking part tonight or if they were testing her the way all the rookies were being tested tonight.

But she'd show all of them tonight that she was a capable officer and that she had deserved top cadet at the academy on her own merit. Not just because of her name.

Even if it was a stupid plan she was considering. Stupid because of what she was planning, and stupid because it meant going in alone without backup and out of her uniform.

Which meant no vest.

No protection against return fire.

So she had to be ready because this had the potential to go very, very bad.

Gail lifted the case out and closed over the safe, sealing it shut and sliding the panel back into place. Her heart was racing as she set the case down on the desk and opened the latches. Her brother's law enforcement version of an NF five-seven sat there looking back at her. It looked brand new, she wasn't even sure Steve had taken it to the gun range to test out. It had been a gift from their father when Steve had got his detective's badge two years ago, but they'd been taught early on that if you kept at gun in the house you kept it serviceable and ready for use just in case.

So she had no doubt that it would fire. As she eyed it she snorted when she noticed that Steve's initials and badge number were engraved on the grip.

Good old dad.

It was a sweet gun though, she had to admit, better even than the Glock-17 she used to patrol. She pulled the gun out and felt the weight of it in her hand, it was lighter than she was expecting, lighter than her gun. Releasing the magazine Gail checked that the chamber was empty then lifted it as she would to fire and took a few practise shots to familiarise herself with how it felt to fire, pretending to shoot at a right-to-left traveling target then back again.

Satisfied that she was happy with the safety positioning and the trigger mechanism Gail gave a little nod to herself and set the weapon down. Lifting the box of bullets out Gail released the magazine and started loading it with fresh rounds. Then she slid the magazine back into place making sure the safety was still on.

That single loaded magazine held twenty rounds of ammunition. None of which she intended to fire tonight but she wasn't going to go where she was headed unarmed. She may be taking a risk tonight but it was a calculated one.

She left the chamber empty and tucked the gun into the back of her jeans, hiding it under her hoodie.

Now things felt serious.

She was actually going to do this. Blowing out a puff of air Gail put the bullets and the case in the desk drawer. She paused when she saw what was sat in the drawer, a familiar little wallet that she slipped into the back pocket of her jeans.

She grinned thinking that she now had all she needed for this to work.

Closing the drawer she left the office only stopping to pick up the second packet of chips she'd found before pulling up her hood and leaving Steve's apartment.

She had a long walk ahead of her but she dismissed taking Steve's car.

She did want to live past tonight after all. Using her brother's gun wouldn't go over well but that was forgivable, using Steve's car…not so much.

Her brother was such a weirdo.

But thinking of the car made her remember what she kept in her own boot. Besides her gun. That thought made her go over to her brother's car and see if she could jimmy the boot open.

Plastic cuff ties would definitely come in handy.

xxxxxxx

Traci eyed the apartment suspiciously, not sure they should really knock. But before she could voice her concern Andy was already banging on the door.

Andy grinned widely as the door slowly opened.

"Yeah?" The grubby looking guy asked as he eyed both of them, lingering a little too long in certain areas. But he obviously found them attractive as he opened his door and smiled back at Andy. "What can I do for you lovely ladies tonight?"

Traci felt slimed just by standing within a few feet of the guy.

"Are you Donny?" Andy asked. "We got your address from a friend." She added slowly, winking on the last word.

Donny leaned against the doorframe and eyed Andy up and down. "Oh yeah?"

Andy just ignored it and kept smiling. "I'm Candice and this is Doreen."

Traci cleared her throat and stepped closer to Andy. "We were talking to a guy down in the bar and he told us you could help us out?"

Donny grinned. "Yeah, you girls looking to party?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes, we are." Andy replied.

Donny moved aside and gestured into his apartment. "Well come in, come in."

Traci didn't have a good feeling about this but when Andy just walked into the apartment she couldn't do anything but follow.

Donny closed and locked the door behind then then hurried over to his sound system turning the music up and facing both women. "We can all party!"

Traci sighed. "Yeah, um, we're kinda in a rush." She said hoping to move things along.

"I get you, sit." Donny said as he turned and opened a little box sat on top of his television. "So what do you gals do anyway?"

"Insurance." Andy answered as she glanced around at the small apartment, feeling dirt just standing there. She winced at the thought of siting on the bed, there was no telling what she'd catch. "You mind if I use the bathroom?" She asked quickly just as Traci sat down. She grinned as Traci glared at her.

Donny was still looking through his box and talking about being a roadie for some band neither of them had heard from. "Stacy's still in there." He muttered.

Andy looked at the half closed door and her breath caught as she saw the figure lying on the ground.

She gestured for Traci to look then glance back over to Donny who was coming back over to them.

"I really have to pee, you think she'd mind?" She tried, wanting to see how ill the woman on the floor was, it didn't take much to overdose, especially on bad drugs.

Donny shrugged. "I don't if you don't."

"Great."

Donny eyed Doreen as the other woman went into the bathroom. "And what is it you do Doreen?"

"I'm a dancer."

"For real?" Donny chuckled as he tried to picture the woman in front of him dancing naked around a pole. He could see it.

"Yup." Traci replied catching Andy checking the woman's pulse. "You sure she's okay?" She asked as she saw he'd finally noticed the woman passed out on the bathroom floor.

Donny waved his hand dismissively, like it happened all the time. "She's probably just passed out. You wanna show me what you've got?" He laughed when that got her attention. "I don't mean you titties, I mean your cash. Let's see it."

Traci tried not to look too relieved as she dug into her pocket and pulled out what they had won so far. She handed over close to a hundred dollars.

Andy rushed back over to Traci. "Her pulse is really weak, I think we need to get her some help, quick."

Donny pulled out what he had and came back over to them with a small clear baggie with some white powder in it.

Traci nearly scoffed at him. Was he seriously trying to get away with handing that over? For a hundred bucks?

"Hey," Andy cut in just before he gave the drugs to Traci. "I think we need an ambulance, that Stacy woman, she's really sick in there."

"She's fine." He dismissed as he passed over the baggie.

"What did she take?" Traci asked as she pocketed the drugs.

Donny shrugged, but when both women stared at him he shook his head and went to check on Stacy himself. "She wanted an eight-ball." He muttered as he looked at what he'd given her, he found the empty packet. "That stupid bitch! She used all of it." He yelled as he threw the plastic onto the floor.

Andy spun around to the phone beside the bed. "We need to call an ambulance for her." She said as she started dialling.

Donny rushed over and pulled the phone away from her then pulled it out of the socket. "No one's going anywhere." He informed them. "So sit down and let me think."

Traci tugged Andy down to sit beside her. She didn't need her friend doing anything to escalate the situation, like mention that they were cops. Chances were Donny was high on something himself and there was no telling what he was capable of.

Donny started pacing, his hands going to his head as he tried to think of a way out of this. He didn't want to go back to prison, he hadn't even been out that long from last time.

"Danny, listen to me, I know her, she dances with me." Traci said calmly.

Donny stopped his pacing and stared at her.

"Let me and Candice take her out of here, we'll get her some help, and no one has to even know she was here." Traci continued.

"Yeah, I think I saw her boyfriend downstairs." Andy added.

Donny's eyes widened. "Boyfriend, she never said anything about a boyfriend. I slept with her!"

Traci rolled her eyes but she stood up and dragged Andy back into the bathroom with her. Together they pulled Stacy to her feet as Donny watched them. It was hard but they headed to the door that Donny helpfully opened for them.

"You won't tell him will you, about the sex?"

Cringing Traci edged around Donny and out into the stairwell. "We'll keep that just between us."

Donny nodded, eyed them and Stacy then slammed the door closed to his apartment.

Andy grunted as she tried to keep hold of Stacy. "Charmer." She muttered.

Traci sighed hoping they could get that ambulance call in time.

It looked like their night was over but hopefully Stacy would be okay.

xxxxxx

"Okay, this is my last stop." Jeremy said to Dov as he pulled his car to a stop in a back alleyway. "Then I'll get you what you need."

Dov nodded and got comfy in his seat. "Okay." This was the fifth place his brother's old dealer had to stop at and each time he left with something from the storage space between them and came back with money that he tucked into the glovebox.

Dov acted like he didn't notice any of it.

Jeremy eyed his other passenger in the back seat. "He okay back there?" He asked, still not comfortable with having a stranger around.

"Chris?" Dov asked, eyeing his friend who looked to be sleeping soundly. "He'll not even remember meeting you in the morning. He's a cheap date." Dov said trying to reassure the guy that Chris wasn't going to be a problem.

Jeremy nodded and tucked a few things into his pocket before turning the engine off and getting out of the car. He pulled the door open again just before he closed it to stick his head back in.

Dov glanced over wondering what was wrong.

"You know, I told Adam but he didn't believe me." Jeremy said with a grin.

Dov scowled, he didn't like talking about his brother. "Told him what?"

Jeremy gestured into the back seat. "That you were gay." He said still grinning. "He woulda owe me twenty bucks." He added before closing the door and walking towards a back staircase.

Dov frowned and turned to look at Chris who had opened his eyes slightly. "What?" Gay? Him?

"Let's just get out of here." Chris said as he watched the guy climb up the fire escape of the building they were parked behind and disappear into an open window. "Can we go now?" He asked.

Dov opened up the cover of the drinks holders and found a bag of pills and another full of smaller baggies of white powder. He'd known Jeremy was still dealing this shit. He grabbed all of it and shoved it into his pockets before going for the money stash. There had to be hundreds of dollars there. He took all of it.

"Let's go." Chris hissed from outside the car, his eyes trained up to the fire escape watching for the guy coming back.

"I knew this would work, I fucking knew it!" Dov proclaimed as he got out of the car, his pockets full of contraband.

Chris shook his head and pushed Dov forward. It wouldn't matter what they had got if they didn't get back to the station with it by six. "Go, run."

Both of them took off out of the alleyway and down the street. Luckily there was still people milling around.

"There." Chris said spotting a bus pulling up a few meters away from them. They both hurried on and took separate seat.

Dov tucked the rim of his hat over his eyes, grinning to himself over a successful night.

Jeremy had supplied his brother with a lot of drugs, drugs Dov knew played a part in his brother taking his own life.

Tomorrow, after he won the scavenger hunt he'd talk to Best about having Jeremy brought in on charges. It wouldn't bring Adam back but it would take another dealer off the streets.

Chris stared out the window and watched the streets pass. He'd hated every moment of the last few hours. This wasn't why he'd become a police officer.

Stealing drugs from a drug dealer just made him wonder what else cops at 15 thought they could get away with. Which made him remember that whole incident with Steve Peck's partner, Bibby.

He still thought it was maybe better to be liked than do the right thing. They should have left it with Steve to sort out. Or with Swarek.

Stealing from that kid on the bus was worse though. He'd stolen from people before, when he was younger and his mother wasn't paying attention to things. Like the electricity bills and food.

Tonight, acting off his head with the start of withdrawals reminded him too much of who he became back then when he had been trying to focus on getting out of Timmins without falling apart.

There had been football, classes, Denise and his mom to look after.

Drugs was his way of coping.

And that was something he never thought he would ever have to think about again after he'd got accepted to the police academy.

When Dov thought it was safe enough he got out of his seat and move to sit with Chris. "Here." He said as he tried to pass over half of everything he'd took.

Chris kept his arms folded and refused to take it. "Keep it."

"You sure?"

Chris huffed and closed his eyes. He wanted to go home and forget this whole night. "Yeah I'm sure."

Dov shrugged and hid it all again. Now he was sure he was going to win this. There was no way Traci and Andy would have got their hands on this amount.

No way.

xxxxxxx

Gail felt more than heard the lock unlatch. She was in. Pulling the tools out of the lock Gail tucked them into her pocket then eased Steve's gun free. She pulled on the slide to chamber a bullet then, with the gun ready, she slowly opened the door.

She was lucky there hadn't been anything other than the two locks on the door or else she wouldn't have been able to gain access to the apartment so easily.

With her gun raised out in front of her Gail slipped into the room and scanned it, her eyes and mind quickly determining that it was free and clear of anyone that might pose a threat.

It was almost four in the morning, chances were good that if there was people here they were sleeping.

Stepping further into the living space Gail spotted a black holdall down at the side of the couch, she made her way over, keeping her eyes and her gun training on the open space of the hallway just in case she was interrupted.

She kicked at the bag first before kneeling down and undoing the zipper. "Woah." These people had to be stupid. More stupid than regular criminals. There was at least five automatic firearms in there along with what looked to be about twenty boxes of armour piercing rounds of ammunition. And they just left it lying around in the living room. They hadn't even tried to hide it somewhere less conspicuous.

No wonder her brother was trying to get this place raided.

This was hard core illegal arms dealing by idiots. And this particular idiot was supposed to have drugs in the apartment, not guns. But given what she'd found so far she was surprised there wasn't lines of coke sitting out on the coffee table.

The find would make Boyd happy at least and it was good to have more of this stuff taken off the streets. The black market value alone of the bullets was going to make all of this worth it.

Steve was going to lose his mind when he found out. That would be good for a laugh, or a picture.

Gail grinned and closed the bag over, it was heavy she noted as she picked it up. She moved it over beside the door to take with her as she left. But now she had to find the occupant of the apartment.

The whole building was cheap rent so while the file just had one name on it, Gail couldn't guarantee that there wasn't more people staying here.

Lifting the gun back into position Gail made her way down the hallway to where she assumed the bedroom was. It was quiet as she found and cleared the bathroom. Like the rest of the place it didn't look very sanitary but luckily she'd gone while she'd been at Steve's so she was good.

That left just one more door.

Cracking her neck to release the tension that had built Gail used the end of the gun to push the door open.

There was two figures sprawled across the bed.

She said a quick prayer of thanks that she wasn't intruding during sex as that would have made all three of them feel awkward.

As it was Gail could hear the male snoring and from the smell of the room, the guy was most likely very drunk. Another good thing.

Gail pulled a zip tie from her jacket and carefully approached the bed.

Now she had a problem. She was defiantly tying up the bad guy first, but to what?

She needed somewhere to tie him to where he couldn't break free. The bed frame looked ready to fall apart as it was. The bathroom had some pipes but getting two people to cooperate long enough to get them both there, quietly, was going to be hard.

Gail eyed the woman lying naked uncovered next to her target. Lucas Daniels, she'd hadn't heard of him before and the file she'd read didn't cover a lot. Just that Steve was planning to arrest Lucas in the next few days and that he had useful intel.

It had been the bare essentials and even at that Gail was sure her father wasn't supposed to have that information. 15 Division wasn't in her father's jurisdiction but obviously Steve was.

Gail pressed the barrel of the gun to Lucas' face. "Wakey, wakey." She said having figured out where she could tie him.

She just had to get him over to the other side of the room. He was big, so dragging him wasn't an option. She poked at him again.

He snored in response.

"Hey!" She called out louder but he just snorted and rolled over, pushing the gun out of the way as he felt something at his face. "Unbelievable." Maybe he was on something?

"Hey, Lucas!" Gail called out again. "Wake up!"

A second after she said that a deafening scream came from the other side of the bed.

And of course that was what woke Lucas up.

"Great." Gail muttered as she pointed her gun at Lucas and glared at the woman screaming. "And you, shut the hell up!"

Lucas eyed Gail then the woman sharing his bed before lying back down and closing his eyes.

Gail lowered the gun with a frown. Was this guy really just going to nod off again.

And still with the screaming.

"Bitch, I will shoot you." Gail warned with another hard look that finally seemed to work.

Now she was just left with the bad guy, who had gone back to snoring.

This was definitely Gail's strangest night as a rookie so far.

xxxxxx

 **AN/**

Thanks for reading.

Sadly I had to cut Holly from the end of this chapter, next time for sure :D

Just two more parts, next one should be up on Sunday night or Monday.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

"I'm going to ask one more time, where is it?" Gail demanded as she squatted next to a confused looking Lucas Daniels. From his pupils it was clear he was still under the influence of some type of drug. Lucas wasn't the main dealer her brother was after but he was the middle man which meant there was product somewhere in this shitty apartment.

If the intel Steve had collected was right.

There hadn't been any mention of guns but maybe the gang were expanding their interests and that was why the undercover operation was still ongoing.

But it had started with drugs and that was what Gail needed right now.

She sighed and looked at the prostitute she'd told to stay in the corner. The girl was still scared and crying and when she saw Gail's eyes on her she looked away and started shaking nervously. She was probably just as high as he was.

Gail sighed and turned her attention back to Lucas. She had her borrowed gun in one hand but that wasn't proving to be very motivational for Lucas so maybe she needed to try something else.

She wiggled the cell phone she had in her other hand in Lucas' face. "If you wont talk to me maybe you'll talk to someone else." She said then started dialling.

Now he paid closer attention as he tugged at the plastic ties locking him in place.

"Hello is that the police?" She started, when Lucas stared at her wide eyed she grinned. "There's a woman screaming in the apartment next door, I think you should send someone quick." She said into the phone. She then gave the address of the apartment she was in before ending the call.

Gail tossed the cell phone onto the bed.

"You're bluffing." Lucas said as he tested the restraints again, this time with a little more purpose.

Gail smirked and stood up, she moved and sat calmly down on the bed. "You been to jail before Lucas?" She asked already knowing that he had. He'd gotten out less than a month ago after serving three and a half years of a five year sentence. Good behaviour.

Lucas glared at the blonde.

"Did you like it?" Gail asked as she let herself smile fully now. She didn't have a lot of time because that hadn't been a fake call. "In a rush to go back?"

"Bitch!" Lucas spat at her and kicked out but he didn't get near her. "You're dead!"

Gail chuckled and watched as he tried to break free as panic set in.

Lucas tugged on the pipe trying to loosen it but it wouldn't budge. Frustrated he twisted around and tried kicking at it with his bare feet before finally bracing his feet against the walk behind it and pulling with all of his strength.

He yelled as he remained tied and trapped.

Gail tilted her head. "You done?"

Lucas, breathing heavily, turned hateful eyes to the woman. "I don't know who you work for but my boss will find out and when he does, he'll enjoy killing you."

Gail knew he was serious. But no one was going to find out about this, it was why she needed the cops to get here. Lucas Daniels had to remain in custody. And even if he did manage to get bailed out the rest of his gang would already be on their own way to jail.

Or at least that was what Gail was hoping.

If she pulled this off tonight it would force her brother to quicken his plans for those arrests, if he was doing his own job and connecting the bigger players involved.

"I don't know about that Lucas, you're the one about to be arrested and when they tear this place apart, given your reputation, and what do you think they'll find?" Gail asked smugly.

It happened slowly, the realisation of what he had in the apartment and how that would send him down for a very long time.

"Yeah, fun times ahead Lucas." Gail added as she saw the fear starting to grow in his eyes. "But maybe I can help you out?" She offered softly, she was running out of time.

Still twisting his wrists to try and get free Lucas stopped and eyed her. "How?"

Gail shrugged casually. "Let me take some stuff off your hands, if there's nothing here they can pin on you then they can't exactly arrest you can they?"

That sounded plausible Gail thought, although the flag on his name would lead to Steve and his colleagues being informed which Gail was hoping would mean Lucas stayed where he belonged, in jail.

Lucas scoffed.

"Seriously, the more they catch you with the longer you spend in jail." Gail went on. "Is it really worth it? Another five, ten, twenty years? Who'll be waiting for you when you get out after that Lucas?" Gail eyed the girl still cowering in the corner of the room. "Besides prostitutes."

The fact was if there were drugs as well as the guns, which would all be felony charges with consecutive sentences Lucas might very well never get out if he was convicted.

"Who'd you work for?" Lucas asked as he eyed her more carefully.

Gail tapped the barrel of the gun against her nose. "Someone who doesn't like you working their patch." That was true right? No cop wanted drug dealers in their city.

Lucas put his head down then groaned. "Fuck!"

Gail felt a twist of excitement fill her. She was really going to do this. "Time's ticking." She reminded him.

Lucas pulled his arms back as hard as he could, one final try that he gave everything to. But still he could snap the ties or the cast iron pipe. It was useless.

But he couldn't go back to jail, not this quickly. He knew given what was in the apartment he'd never see the light of day again, not while he was still relatively young.

"Tick tock, tick tock."

Lucas rested his head on his forearm, all the fight gone now that he knew he wasn't getting out of this. "Under the bottom drawer." He muttered quietly.

Gail tucked her gun into the back waistband of her jeans then jumped up and pulled the drawer free to check and damn hadn't that worked out well.

Inside was sat two rectangular packages that looked to be kilo blocks of cocaine.

Gail's hand shook slightly as she pulled the first out and then the second. "This it?" She asked, working to keep her voice even.

Lucas just glared at her.

"Right." Gail picked the up and quickly left the room. If she got caught by the cops she'd be in for a very long troublesome night. She found the holdall and stowed the drugs in with the guns then zipped it closed.

She was curious why he hadn't mentioned the guns but she didn't have the time to question that, she had more than she could have imagined but now she had to get out of here before her colleagues turn up to check out the disturbance call.

It had been less than five minutes since she made the call and she knew given the area was renowned for drugs it would have a six to eight minute target response. Such a quick response would help catch the dealers in the act and get them off the streets.

A domestic call to an address with a known drug dealer, yeah that would get a fast response.

Gail left the door slightly ajar as she pulled her hood up and lifted the bag over her shoulder. She rushed to take the stairs down to get out of the area as quickly as she could.

"Shit." She muttered as she pulled her hood down as she spotted two uniformed officers standing at the bottom of the stairwell. She slowed her descent and tried her best to keep calm and act normal.

Unfortunately her dark clothes didn't exactly give off a good vibe.

But as she reached the bottom landing she made eye contact with both officers and even offered them a smile. "Hey, are you here about Lucas and his latest bimbo?" She asked as she walked passed them and turned back to look at them.

One of the cops had started up the stairs but now he turned and eyed his partner before looking back at Gail.

"He's in apartment 405? They've been going at it for a while," Gail gave a shrug of her shoulders then turned away. "I hope the girls okay."

Gail started walking and didn't look back even as she failed to hear them continue up the staircase.

This was not good.

Gail felt her heart rate quicken as she focused on the cops behind her.

"Miss?" One called out to her.

Gail kept walking, pretending she hadn't heard.

"Miss, can we speak to you for a moment?"

He sounded closer this time but Gail was already at the apartment entrance and with a quick pull of her arm she was out of the door and running.

As she made it onto the street she saw a second squad car slowing to park behind the first one. She slowed her steps but walked quickly away from both vehicles hoping the cops would just follow the other two into the building.

But the car started back down the street. It pulled alongside her and Gail kept her head down. There was a path up to her left that crossed a compound that backed onto four apartment buildings. If she could make it to that they'd have to chase her on foot and she might be able to lose them in one of the other apartment buildings.

Gail waited for the car to pull to a stop before she broke into a sprint.

"Stop!"

And then she was being chased.

Gail heard the screeching of tyres which she guessed meant the driver of the car had took off down the street planning to head her off on the other side of the apartment complex. Well that wasn't going to do at all.

She could also hear the pounding feet behind her and the heavy breathing. That was good, it hopefully meant the cop wasn't in the best shape and if she could just stay ahead of him she'd be okay.

"Stop or I will tase you!" Came the yell but it spurred Gail to split off to the side and use every drop of adrenaline to push her to run faster and to get as far away as possible. Memories of being tasered during her training at the academy were still fresh in her mind. That shit hurt.

Gail raced through another apartment block going from the back entrance, which was conveniently held open by a brick, and out through the front. There was no squad car and with the chasing officer further back Gail sprinted across the street and made her way across another estate.

Walking quickly through the second estate Gail made her way towards a main road, she needed to disappear and quick before any more officers were called to look for her. She had her fingers crossed that one of the original officers had already found Lucas and that would take priority.

She came out the common grounds between the houses onto a busier road that wasn't too far from the main route to the airport. It might be the middle of the night but Gail now had people dotted about that she could blend in with and maybe if she got far enough down the road, a bus or taxi to use.

The taxi wasn't a great idea unless she planned to pay in cocaine or bullets, but she still had a bus token.

Coming to a crossing Gail chanced a look behind her, she couldn't see the chasing officer or a squad car, but that didn't mean they weren't about.

When the lights changed Gail made sure her hood was still up then she cut across the road.

xxxxx

"I told you this was the wrong way." Rachel said from the back seat.

Holly rolled her eyes and backed her car out of the dead end and drove out of the street. "Two weeks Rach, I've been back for two weeks, so forgive me if I'm not up on my streets when I'm called in the middle of the night to pick you both up from a party."

Lisa sniffled. "But you're our best friend."

Holly sighed and tried to work out which direction to drive in. "Yeah, well next time use a proper taxi." She muttered. She'd still been awake and working on a file but why she hadn't checked the time before agreeing to pick her friends up from the hotel they were at was escaping her right now.

She didn't have work in the morning which was the only reason she wasn't more annoyed with her friends. "And why didn't you take your car Rachel?" Given that she was the more sober of the two she might have been able to drive them both home.

Rachel grinned and put her hands up and giggled. "Because I planned to have fuuun Holly!"

Holly sighed and continued in what she hoped was the right direction as her two friends broke into giggles in the back.

"She forgets what that is Rach." Lisa stage whispered to her friend.

"I can hear you Lisa, and be careful before I kick your skinny ass out here." Holly warned as she took another turn down an unknown street. She didn't even have her cell phone to use as a sat nav. She really shouldn't answer her phone if it wasn't work related.

Especially when it was Lisa calling.

"At least you're smiling again Lisa." Holly said, glad to have a break in the hysterical tears even if it was due to her not knowing her way back towards Lisa's home in the Hills. Just one wrong turn and she was completely lost.

"Hey, there's a cop car, ask for directions." Rachel offered helpfully enjoying Holly being flustered almost as much as watching Lisa and her girlfriend break up. It had been an eventful night. One she could use against both of her best friends for weeks to come.

Holly snorted and adjusted her glasses as she quickly took another turn. She was not asking a police officer for directions back to the city centre. There had to be an on ramp for the freeway nearby, she knew the airport wasn't far away. She studied here for four years in her early twenties and there was no way in hell she was going to live down asking for directions.

Not from her new work colleagues.

That would leave a lasting impression.

So no, she'd work out eventually how to get back home, and hell, if it came to it she'd just drive them to the nearest hotel and book a room for the night siting tiredness. She might not have her phone right now but she did have her wallet.

She pulled up at a set of lights and glanced around to try and figure out which way to go now. Unfortunately dumb and dumber in the back were not being helpful at all.

As Holly turned her head back to check the lights someone passed in front of her SUV and caught her gaze. It was a woman, young and pretty Holly thought as she smiled politely.

The stranger looked Holly straight in the eye then came around the car and opened the passenger side door. Holly couldn't believe what just happened. "What the-"

Gail pulled her gun from her jeans and flashed it for the driver to see as she sat down. "I need a ride." She said insistently.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Lisa yelled, astounded that someone had just sat themselves in her friend's car. "Get the fuck out!"

Rachel gripped tightly to Lisa's arm to prevent her from doing anything stupid, she'd seen the gun and wasn't about to risk any of their lives. "Lisa, shut up." She hissed at the woman beside her.

"What no, get out or I'm calling the cops!" Lisa warned as she reached for her purse.

Holly swallowed nervously as she froze not sure what to do.

Gail sighed. She just had to find the car with another loud screamer.

"The light's green." She told the driver softly. "Just keep driving, no one's going to get hurt, I just need a lift."

Holly snorted, that seemed to be the theme tonight. "Couldn't call a cab?" As soon as she said it she paled, worried she'd just offended the woman.

"What the hell Rachel!" Came the yell from the back.

Gail frowned and eyed both women. She hadn't noticed them before she'd decided to get into the car, just the driver, but she needed to get away from the cops and this was the only car around.

"Shut up Lisa, she's got a gun." Rachel informed her friend as she tugged the cell phone out of her hand, she wasn't about to see Holly shot or anyone else, she needed to get home to her kids tonight.

And next time they were definitely calling for a cab.

A purse hit Gail on the shoulder as the car started moving. "Take it!" Lisa begged as tears started to stream down her face. "Could this night get any worse?"

Gail turned in her seat and glared back at her. "I don't want your money." She ground out.

It didn't help, as soon as Gail met the woman's eyes she cried out and practically crawled into the other woman's lap. It was only then that Gail realised she was still holding the gun in her hand.

"Oh sure, shoot the black woman."

Gail scowled then winced as the other woman kept screaming. "Please shut up." She ordered above the noise. And it seemed to do the trick as the woman whimpered instead. Although she never stopped crying. Gail ignored her and looked at the woman that had just spoke, feeling insulted by her comment. "And no one's getting shot."

"Hmmm." The woman didn't look that convinced but she pushed the other woman out of her lap then folded her arms across her chest and stared back at Gail defiantly. "Then why point the gun at us?"

Gail huffed and sat back around. "Just keep driving." She told the woman beside her.

"Where?" Holly asked.

"Just drive." Gail replied as she kept her eyes on the wing mirror. She didn't see a marked car behind them but she couldn't really tell if they'd seen her get into this car. Deciding to put the gun away Gail opened up her bag and, making sure the safety was still on, tucked it into a secure zipper on the inside before dumping the bag back at her feet.

Holly blinked at the flash she'd seen of inside the bag. There had been another gun and what looked like something wrapped in foil. This was not good. She had no idea what the woman in her car had done but it was obvious she was dangerous.

Hopefully if she could just do what the woman said then this would all end safely.

Holly made a silent wish that Rachel was able to keep control of Lisa in the back seat and that her drunk friend didn't try anything stupid.

"Shit." Gail muttered as a squad car turned onto the road about a block or so behind them.

"What?" Holly looked at the blonde in concern, wondering what was wrong now, besides the obvious kidnapping and possible hostage situation going on.

Gail turned her head and offered a tight smile. "Ever been chased by the cops before?"

The driver huffed but Gail saw her checking behind them in the back mirror.

"Not wanted for anything? Prostitution maybe?" Gail went on, but the dig at the woman behind her wasn't caught by anyone but the driver next to her.

Holly grinned Lisa was definitely not dressed for the weather outside.

"Oh my god, we're all going to die!" Lisa cried out as she spotted the police car behind them and started crying louder. "I'm too young to die."

"Lisa shut the hell up." Ordered the other woman in the back. Gail was starting to like her.

"Should I turn off this street?"

Gail shrugged. She wasn't sure being caught right now would be so bad. The crying woman in the back was going to test her patients sooner rather than later.

Right now no one was going to get shot, but things could change.

Gail pushed the bag as far into the foot space as possible. If they were stopped maybe they'd just question the driver and not see the bag at her feet.

"The car's still there." Holly warned.

"Of course it is." Gail sighed before resting her elbow at the window and trying to act casual.

"I'm Holly by the way." Gail eyed the driver curiously but she just shrugged. "If we're all about to be arrested I thought you might want to know who you're sharing a cell with."

"Gail."

"Back there is Rachel and Lisa, Lisa's the one having the nervous breakdown." Holly went on. "Broke up with her girlfriend tonight." She added in a whisper.

Gail didn't really care but she nodded anyway at the information. She'd have to figure a way to make this little escapade up to the other women, well maybe not to Lisa, but the other two were being fairly cooperative given the circumstances.

"Look I'm really not going to hurt any of you. I just needed a ride." Gail tried to explain.

Holly hummed to show she heard but she was keeping her attention on the car behind her. "Damn."

Gail looked at Holly then turned to see out the back window. She sighed then turned back around, unsurprised when the blues and reds shone into the car followed by the whistle of the siren.

"Should I keep driving?" Holly asked nervously even as she started to slow.

"What? No, just do what they say. Everything will be fine, so let's all just relax." Gail told them, eyeing the crying female pointedly to try and warn her not to make a scene.

Like that was a possibility.

Holly swallowed hard as she pulled to a stop, leaving her hands on the steering wheel as she eyed the foot well of the passenger seat. From what she'd seen was inside she wondered how long the blonde would do in prison for it. And if Rachel or Lisa were going to say anything to the officer that was just getting out of the car behind them.

She tried to catch Rachel's eye in the rear view mirror but Lisa was starting to shift over to her and it was all Rachel could do to keep her in her own seat.

"Evening ladies." The cop said as he shone a flash light into the back before approaching Holly who rolled down the window slowly. "And what are you all doing out so late?" He asked.

Gail did her best not to make eye contact. Unfortunately the voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"Help us!" Lisa cried out as she shifted between the front seats and took the officer by surprise. "Please!"

"Lisa!" Holly snapped as she turned her head to the other woman. She was angry that she could be risking all of their lives right now when the blonde wasn't even threatening them. "Sit still." She warned before turning to face the officer who was further away from her door now and had his hand on his gun.

Great.

"I'm sorry about her, she's really drunk, I was just trying to drive my friend's home. Bad break up." She said doing her best to explain Lisa's reaction away. "Did I mention that she's drunk?"

The officer stayed still, eyeing them.

Lisa started crying again. Loudly. Only this time she just fell into Rachel's arms instead of making the situation any worse.

God Holly hoped she hadn't made anything worse.

Gail kept her breathing steady and her body relaxed, acting like this happened all of the time.

Eventually the hand moved away from the gun and the officer came back to Holly.

"I'm going to have to see some form of ID from all of you." He informed them before stepping back a few steps to talk into his radio.

"Sure, no problem." Holly replied quickly and fished out her driving license. She turned in her seat and accepted the two cards Rachel handed her. Then she looked at Gail.

"Yeah, see, I might have left mine at home."

"I'm sure your finger prints will work fine." Came a mutter from the back of the car.

Gail rubbed her earlobe and fought a smile as Holly glared at her. She was starting to think Rachel was growing on her.

A light shone in Gail's face making her wince.

"Name?" The officer asked harshly keeping the light on Gail.

Gail bit her lip before putting a hand up to shield her eyes from the glare as she looked at the officer. Yeah, that was the same guy that had chased her and she watched as recognition dawned on the officer's face.

"Would you let us go if I told you I was on the job?" Gail asked optimistically.

A second later there was a gun pointed in Gail's direction and a scream sounded from the back again.

This was not going to end well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

"Okay, easy." Gail said as she felt the cuffs tighten across her wrists at her back. "I really am on the job you know." She muttered in annoyance. But then that line hadn't worked any better for Swarek why would it work for her.

A snort answered her and the press of an elbow between her shoulder blades forcing her harder against the SUV she'd just been pulled out of.

She tried not to wince but that was painful. It wasn't like she was resisting.

"Hey Mark, are we arresting all of them?" The second officer asked as he shone his own torch into the vehicle trying to assess the situation properly. If they had their runner then who were these women? "Take them in for questioning?"

The older of the two officers behind Gail snorted. "Here." The ID cards were passed over then he grabbed at Gail again and dragged her towards the squad car which still had its lights flashing. "Best just check them all out, we can get statements tomorrow from them if we need to."

Gail sighed as she was pushed none too gently against yet another car as the cop opened the back of his squad and pushed her head down forcing her to take a seat. "You know, at least tell me you guys arrested Lucas Daniels or you guys will be in so much shit." She added a small chuckle that worked to throw doubt across the officer's face. _Neal_ his tag read and she made a mental note of it for later reference if she needed it. Mark Neal.

Officer Neal scowled as he held the door open. "Feet. Inside."

Gail paused before pulling her legs into the back of the cruiser. "Your funeral." She muttered just as he slammed the door closed.

She watched him reach for his radio which was something to celebrate because Steve was already going to kill her, if she completely screwed him over with this, and Daniels got away, then chances were she might be spending the night in a cell after all. She tilted her head to check the time on the car dash. Morning technically, less than two hours before she was due back at the station in her uniform.

She dropped her head back onto the seat and wondered who would be more pissed off at her come morning, Steve or her parents. Maybe it would be Frank for embarrassing him.

This was going to go over so well with the other rookies when they found out.

She could just picture their faces when she failed to turn up. Dov would never let her live it down. He'd say she was nothing but a paper cop, unable to do the real police work, just there because of who her parents were.

She groaned and banged her head against the seat. She was so stupid to have even tried this, she should have been happy with the weed she'd found and left it at that.

xxxxxx

Holly watched the young officer nervously as he eyed her and walked around the car, he spoke into his radio and read off the driving licences he had been passed by the first cop. Her passenger side door was still open wide and there was no way to hide the bag Gail had placed in the foot well.

"Is there something wrong Officer?" She asked hesitantly.

Unfortunately Lisa heard this and threw herself into the space between the front seats. "Are you kidding me right now?" She yelled. "We were just abducted Holly!"

Rachel grabbed the back of Lisa's dress and pulled her back down into her seat.

Holly winced. "Yeah, she's still…drunk." She trailed off wondering what the hell she was trying to accomplish. The woman that had just been arrested had got into her car carrying a gun for crying out loud.

Why was she even trying to protect her from getting into further trouble?

"You know this driver's licence is registered in B.C.?" He said, shining the light onto Holly's face but thankfully not directly into her eyes.

"I do. I recently relocated for work, I'll get it changed over in the next few weeks." Holly replied calmly.

He huffed the looked from the final two ID cards to the women in the back of the car. His radio cracked and he stepped back after telling Holly to turn the ignition off.

"What the actual fuck Hols?" Lisa hissed, still astounded that Holly wasn't quick to demand charges be brought against the bottled blonde in the back of the police car. "She held us at gunpoint! We could have been killed!"

Holly turned slightly to see what Rachel thought but the other woman just gave her a look and shrugged. Holly turned back to Lisa. "Well she's been arrested so what more do you want me to do?"

Lisa's mouth dropped open and she flapped her arms about. "I don't know, maybe tell THEM that!"

Holly was still fumbling for a reply when the officer came back over to her.

"Okay, well it looks like you ladies all check out." He said handing the ID's back to Holly. "I'm just going to take a quick statement from each of you before we let you go, I'll probably need you all to come down to the station tomorrow. Some of the detectives might want to speak with you." He continued as he pulled out his memo pad.

Rachel stuck her head around the back of Holly's seat. "Can I ask what Gail was arrested for?"

The cop narrowed his eyes at Rachel. "You know her?"

"She asked for a ride." Rachel replied.

The officer blinked, not understanding why, in the middle of the night, and in this part of town these women would even entertain the idea. "And you all just said, sure come on in!"

Lisa scowled at the officer. "I don't like you." She told him with a huff as she crossed her arms.

Holly tried not to smile, or laugh as the officer glared into the back of her car. "Officer…Peterson," She read the name tag on his jacket then smiled at him as he eyed her. "Both of my friends have been drinking all evening, I don't really think they are capable of being interviewed right now."

Officer Peterson eyed the two women in the back before focusing on Holly. "Then I'll start with you, and if your friends are that inebriated maybe they should sleep it off at the station."

Holly sighed.

"Name?" The officer began.

xxxxxx

Officer Neal finished speaking with control and was relayed the information that Lucas Daniels had been detained for questioning and that he was to bring in their runner for questioning as she was possibly the mystery 911 caller, or so said the other individual arrested at the scene.

It puzzled Officer Neal as to why the blonde in the back of his patrol car would call the police only to run from them when they arrived.

He eyed his partner then made his way over to the other car. "You done a search yet?"

Peterson shook his head as he continued writing down the information the driver was giving him. Apparently the blonde had flagged them down near a junction and asked for a lift into the city and as they were already headed that way Dr Stewart obliged, thinking nothing of it until a police car pulled them over a few minutes later.

Holly bit her lip as the second officer came up on the passenger side of her car, there was no way to avoid him seeing the bag.

"Bingo." Officer Neal said as he looked into the space he pulled the blonde out of to see the bag he knew she'd been carrying during they're chase. "Got her bag." To told his partner as he pulled the holdall out onto the pavement. It was heavy and as he opened it up and shone his light into it he realised why.

Peterson heard the whistle and looked across the hood of the car. "What?" He asked wondering what Neal had found in the bag.

Mark angled the open bag for his partner to see.

"Holy shit."

They looked at each other and then grinned, realising they had a major outcome from the chase down. Possibly bigger than the arrest of Daniels on a probation violation their colleagues were currently handling.

"You got her name yet?" He asked Neal who zipped the bag back up then sat it down on the hood of the car.

"Nope."

"You should run her." He instructed then looked back at the driver. "I think you'll all have to come down to the station with us, drunk or not." There was excitement in his tone.

Holly almost pouted. This is what she got for answering her cell phone in the middle of the night.

Never again.

xxxxx

Gail shifted forward in the tiny space of her seat and looked through the cage separating her from the officer in front currently typing in her name to the system.

This should be fun.

"That's G-A-I-L." She spelt not wanting it to pull up someone else's information.

Neal grunted then waited a few moments before prodding his prisoner with, "Last name?"

"Peck," Gail grinned as fingers froze above the keyboard. "That's P-E-C-K."

"Gail Peck?" Neal felt the blood drain from his face as he shifted around to eye the woman cuffed in the back seat. She looked very pleased with herself as she smiled back at him. That was not the look of someone about to spend the next half a lifetime in jail on illegal weapons and drug charges.

Which meant.

"Peck as in…"

Gail decided to help him out. "Yeah, as in." She agreed with a slow nodding of her head.

"Oh." He turned back around and typed it in anyway. It got a hit all right, along with a nice colour DMV image of the woman behind him. The fellow Officer behind him. 15 Division Officer. Parents; Elaine and William Peck. Brother: Steven Peck.

She was one of _those_ Pecks.

He was never getting off of night shifts. Ever. And weekends off, well he could kiss those goodbye as well. And any hope of a promotion.

Gail chuckled as the guy seemed to go into some sort of daze. It was funny, really, but the cuffs at her back actually hurt and the back of a squad car was not a comfortable place. Plus it smelled.

"Hey, listen, let's just call this a misunderstanding and say our goodbyes?" She offered. "I'll apologise for making you look bad to your partner and leave it at that."

Mark frowned unsure what to do given he'd already called in the arrest and his colleagues were expecting to speak to the woman about the arrest of Daniels and the female in his apartment.

Gail sighed at the hesitation. "Or, you can take me down, book me, lock me up and yeah, deal with Superintendent Peck arriving first thing to speak to your Sergeant about it. That'll be fun."

It took to the end of that sentence for Officer Neal to scramble out of his seat and pull open the back door. He helped Gail out and quickly uncuffed her.

Gail rubbed at her wrists. They were slightly red from the excessive tightening but she understood he'd been mad at losing the chase.

He watched her uneasily. "Sorry about that." He muttered, sounding more scared than apologetic.

Considering how this might have gone Gail let it go with a glare. "So I'm free to leave?"

"Um." Neal wasn't sure. Arresting a Peck was pretty much career suicide but the officer had fled the scene of a possible crime, not to mention what she had in her bag. He swallowed not sure what to do and cast a glance to his partner still dealing with the other occupants of the car.

Understanding his dilemma Gail patted him on the shoulder. "How about for now you let me get on with what I'm doing and my Sergeant will call your later. I wasn't kidding about being on the job, I really do have other places to be." Like her own station with her loot. She couldn't believe she was about to walk away from this Scot free.

She loved it. The one time her family name proved to be useful for a change.

"Um yeah, sure, okay." The officer mumbled, still sporting a stunned look as he kept his eyes on her.

Gail patted his cheek then calmly walked back over to Holly's car and opened the passenger's door just as she spotted her bag on the hood. She detoured to pick it up, returning it to the foot well as she sat back down and strapped herself in.

The silence around her made her glance over questioningly.

Holly and Officer Peterson just stared blankly at her.

Gail smiled brightly at them.

"Neal?!" Peterson called out in a panic and stepped away from the car.

Rolling her eyes Gail looked over at Holly. "I still kinda need that ride."

"Peterson leave it and let's go!" Officer Neal called out from the squad car.

Peterson glared at Gail, his hand twitching near his gun. His partner called to him again and he turned his anger on Neal. "You can't seriously be letting her go. You saw what was in the bag."

Neal scowled back at the younger officer. "She's cleared." He told him sternly. "Now get back in the car."

Holly's eyes widened wondering how that was possible and shifted to eye the blonde beside her as the police officer at her door stomped away.

Gail waited but the brunette wasn't driving. "We're free to leave. You can start the car." She added helpfully.

But Holly couldn't look away from the blonde.

Rachel eyed her as well as Lisa went back to crying, saying they'd been abandoned to a serial killer. And while she could roll her eyes at her friend's theatrics there was definitely something up with this whole thing tonight.

If she didn't know better she'd swear this was some kind of set up that you'd see people be punk'd on TV with.

"Who are you?" She asked in a strained whisper.

"If I told you that I'd have to shoot you." Gail replied softly with her best serious look before she smiled and sat back around in her seat.

Holly shook her head but started her engine up.

The sight of the patrol car leaving made it very real. And very, very confusing.

Gail tried to be patient, she did, but she had a deadline to meet. "You're not driving, why are you not driving?"

Rachel chuckled in the back. "Did she forget to mention that she's lost? Well she is. Doesn't have a clue where we are."

Holly pushed her glasses up her nose and glared at her friend. "Not helping." She muttered.

Rachel shrugged. "It's been funny watching you try and figure it out."

Even Gail laughed now.

Holly felt herself blush when she met those amused blue eyes staring at her.

"Lucky you picked me up then, huh?" Gail replied before deciding to spare the woman any further embarrassment. "Take that left up there."

Holly sighed but was grateful for the instructions, because her so-called friend in the back hadn't been of any use so far.

"So where am I taking you?" She asked as she followed more directions and found herself in more familiar surroundings.

Gail bit her lip to keep from grinning too much. "Would you believe me if I told you the police station?"

More than one scoff sounded in the car.

"Yeah, didn't think so." Gail chuckled. "But really, 15 Division if you please."

Holly had no idea what to think now. Walking into a police station with a bag of weapons and possibly drugs didn't sound like something a criminal would do but Gail looked serious.

"Okay." She replied and headed the car that way.

Maybe now she'd get some answers.

xxxxx

 **AN/** So looks like I lied. The next chapter will be the last.

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

Holly pulled up across the street from 15 Division feeling uneasy but with a healthy dose of curiosity as Gail grabbed for her bag and slipped out of the car.

"Drive!" Lisa yelled once the door closed.

With a chuckled Holly and Rachel followed after the blonde.

Lisa sat firmly in her seat and stared out at her friends with wide eyes. "Where are you going?"

"I say we leave her." Rachel whispered out the side of her mouth as she stood beside Holly.

"Behave." Holly chuckled as she opened the back door. "We have to take Gail inside." She reminded her friend.

"Can't they come out and arrest her?" Lisa asked as she eyed the blonde standing a few feet away.

Holly sighed and reached in to 'help' Lisa out of her car. She was tired and stressed but still willing to see this to whatever strange conclusion was about to transpire once Gail passed through the threshold of the police station.

Lisa practically whimpered as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. As Holly locked up her car Lisa huddled behind Rachel as Holly seemed to want to get closer to their delinquent carjacker.

"This is crazy." She muttered to Rachel as they followed behind the pair as they crossed the road.

Rachel hummed in agreement and latched onto Lisa's arm. However crazy it might seem it was delightfully entertaining as well.

"Since when do the criminals drive themselves to jail?" Lisa muttered.

Up ahead Holly winced wondering how Gail would respond to her friend's comments. "Sorry." She apologised on behalf of her still alcohol infused friend.

Gail shrugged. It didn't bother her, nothing was likely to bother her knowing she was walking in to 15 with more than enough in her bag to blow whatever the other rookies had out of the water. But aside from that thought making her easy going with the other woman's comments, she wasn't happy with herself for getting in their car the way she did.

She'd never wanted to scare anyone tonight.

Maybe a small part of her wanted to see Lucas eye her with fear but she wasn't going to admit that to anyone.

But not these women who were out there tonight minding their own business only for Gail to pull them into her messed up attempt at one-upmanship with the other rookies. She could admit to herself that she'd wanted to show off to them, to Dov and Chris, to prove she was good enough to be at 15.

"I'm sorry too," She replied as they approached the main entrance to the police station. "I promise to explain soon and maybe you can let me make tonight up to you all." She continued before glancing behind them. "Maybe not her, but you and Rachel. I can take you out for breakfast, there's a diner just down the street."

Holly giggled a little at the idea of excluding Lisa from breakfast. She might feel safer back in her car anyway.

Gail rolled her eyes and raised her voice slightly. "You know, if I'm not in jail."

Lisa paused as Gail turned and eyed her, grabbing hold of Rachel as protection.

Gail glared as she reached for the door and held it open for Holly to go inside, who smiled at her on her way passed. But her frown deepened when Lisa refused to go in ahead of her and kept Rachel with her.

"Whatever." She muttered to herself and just went in. They could follow or not, she didn't exactly care.

Holly eyed the front desk then tugged on Gail's sleeve. "You don't have to do this." She said quietly. She wasn't sure what 'this' was exactly but Gail could still turn around and walk out of the station. "Just give me the bag and I'll hand it in, say I found it."

Gail eyed the other woman as Rachel and a very reluctant Lisa crept in behind them and moved to the long bench along the back wall. "You're nice." Anyone else would never have let her back into the car. Whoever this Holly woman was Gail could hardly believe she was for real.

Lisa however, she was the type of person Gail expected. Quick to judge, and quick to condemn.

Holly blushed and looked away as Gail continued to stare at her.

"This is better than a movie." Rachel muttered, fascinated by her friend's reaction to their blonde mystery woman.

Lisa watched on but she didn't see anything but a cop at the desk doing nothing. "Why aren't they arresting her?"

Rachel shrugged and settled back for the show. She was starting to think Holly was going to hand in the bag and not the blonde. "Just wait." And they'd both see how this played out.

Gail shook her head with a grin. "You're too nice." This time it sounded like a warning. "Hey Andrews, you going to buzz me in?" She called out as she went over to the interconnecting door and tugged on it but it was locked.

"Are you out of your mind?" Holly hissed.

Andrews glanced up from his paper and pressed the lock release.

Holly was stunned when the desk officer let Gail into the bullpen of the station. He hadn't asked for ID or checked her bag or anything.

Gail smirked as she pushed the door open. She turned to Holly about to explain when she heard a horrible sound coming behind her.

"Gail!" That was Steve's voice. Steve who was supposed to still be undercover.

Gail dropped the bag and used both hand to pull the door back closed as her brother ran towards her. "Hey Andrews, lock the door!" She called out as Steve slammed against the Perspex glass and snarled at her. She tightened her grip on the door. "Andrews!"

"You're dead!" Steve yelled. "Three months work ruined because you just busted my contact!" He continued as he grabbed at the door and yanked at it.

Gail glared over at Andrew who just shrugged and went back to his newspaper.

"Five weeks undercover Gail, you think I like these clothes? Or this hair?" Steve went on as he pulled the door open a few inches only to have Gail slam it closed again. "What the hell Gail? You that pissed at me?"

Holly watched all this and started to smile. "You're a cop." It made sense. It explained why the other police officer let Gail go once he had her in the back of his car. She'd obviously explained what she was up to.

"Surprise." Gail muttered before yelping as Steve finally pulled the door free. "Shit." Quickly she raced over to Holly and hid behind her as Steve marched over clearly after her blood. She grabbed hold of Holly's jacket and turned her to keep her between Steve and her continued life on earth.

"Come on Steve, it's not that bad." She tried to placate her brother.

"Not that bad! Are you kidding?" Steve tried to get around the brunette to hit Gail but his sister moved the other woman in his way.

Holly flinched and screwed her eyes shut. There was no way this was ending well for her.

Rachel laughed at the scene and felt bad for her friend getting in the middle of it.

"Should we help?" Lisa asked confused by the lack of arrests but also worried that Holly was going to get hurt.

"Who?" Asked Rachel. Although she was in no rush to get between the blonde and the redhead.

"You do know your tattoos are showing right?" Gail commented on her brother's short sleeved t-shirt. She was surprised by the sight because she was pretty sure most people at 15 didn't know about them.

Steve grunted as he reached around the human buffer and smacked Gail upside the head.

"I'm telling mom." Gail said as she glared at her brother.

Steve grinned and swatted at her again, missing this time but he'd got close. "Baby. And go ahead, when they find out about this, you'll be the one on their shit list." He answered straight back as he stopped and grinned at Gail. Because either way she was the one in trouble not him.

Ah the pitfalls in her plan. Sadly Gail knew he was probably right.

Gail eased Holly out of the way and socked her brother in the gut making him cough and double over. Then she flicked his ear before they started grappling together and he pulled her into a headlock only for them to turn around and find Frank and Donovan Boyd stood there watching.

Steve cleared his throat but kept Gail in the headlock. "Hey, we were just…talking."

Frank glared and Steve finally released his sister.

Free Gail pushed at Steve but he just laughed at her. "Asshole."

Frank's glared intensified until they both got themselves under control. "My office. Now."

Gail grinned and went over to pick up her dropped back. She turned back to see Holly watching her, still looking confused. "If you can wait, like, twenty minutes, I'll take you all out for breakfast."

Holly nodded then watched as Gail and Steve followed after the two men, trading hits behind their backs.

Still slightly stunned by the nights events Holly went over and sat down beside her friends.

"She's a cop." She said to them.

Rachel nodded. "Figures."

Lisa glanced between them then looked off in the direction the blonde went. "We can go right, I mean they took her away so we can leave now, can't we?"

Rachel sighed. "And to think she's the one they let operate on living people." She muttered earning a chuckle from Holly.

Holly leaned closer to Rachel and whispered, "She gives them bigger boobs, it's hardly rocket science."

"I dare you to say that to her face when she's sober."

Holly shrugged. It wasn't a secret that Lisa's choice in plastics wasn't something that impressed her. What did, and what showed Holly why they were such good friends was the free work she did on reconstructive surgery for breast cancer survivors. That forever earned Lisa her respect.

xxxxxx

Frank closed his door over and came around his desk to eye the two Peck siblings. "This is Detective Jacob Blackstone, and he's here because one of his main playmakers in his operation was just arrested by 37 Division and Gail, help me out here, because he'd like to know why _you_ were they one that called it in."

Gail eyed the very hairy, serious looking man slouching against a far cabinet. She looked back at Frank and refused to admit she'd done anything wrong. "Boyd told us to use what we knew, and know what we didn't. So I did." She said then dropped the bag on her Sergeants desk. "Listen, why don't you take the opportunity to ask Lucas how he got his hands on those." She stood back and did her best not to smirk.

Frank eyed Boyd and Blackstone who both moved a little closer to see what was in the bag.

Frank couldn't hide his shock when he saw not only drugs but guns and what looked like armour piercing ammunition as well. He stared at Gail.

Donovan was familiar with the bullets and pulled a box out to check them. "Those are the real deal." He said as he tossed the box gently back in with the rest. Now he was really interested because bringing down a supplier of these not that long ago had been a major feather in his cap. He eyed Jacob. "You knew about this?"

Jacob shook his head and settled back. "We were just after the drugs." He muttered in a husky voice. "But you can sit in when we talk with Lucas about them. If you want." He offered casually.

Donovan snorted. "I want."

"Oh, hey, that one's mine." Gail spotted the gun in Frank's loose grip and quickly took it and tucked it into the back of her jeans. "The rest you can have." She assured her boss with a grin.

"Was that my gun?" Steve asked having recognised the make. Gail didn't own an NF five-seven so it couldn't be hers. "Did you break into my apartment?"

Frank put his hands on his waist and glared. He had no idea what to do with this. He heard Blackstone and Boyd arranging to go over to 37 when they were done wrapping up here with Gail.

"Gail you're going to have to sit down and go over everything with Detective Blackstone, and then I'll deal with you." He warned her.

Gail scowled and crossed her arms. "I thought what happened on the scavenger hunt stayed quiet? What you wanted us to do wasn't exactly legal."

Blackstone cleared his throat. "And it would have if you hadn't got in the middle of my operation. Daniels was just a middle man, he's been showboating to your brother about what he could get his hands on, but all I have to go on is a couple of aliases. Nothing solid. He was going to bring Steve along to a meet tonight where we planned to have them all arrested."

Gail still didn't see the problem. "So just send Steve." She suggested then looked at her watch. "Can I go change, before I miss the deadline?"

Frank eyed Blackstone who seemed to be considering Gail's proposal thoughtfully. He then looked to Boyd who just offered a shrug, they both need to be there when the rookies returned. "Fine. But you're still going to have to talk with Jacob."

Gail shrugged. "Sure." She then reached for her bag only to have Frank put his hand down on it.

"This stays here."

"What?" They had to be kidding. There was no way Gail had gone through all of that and not be able to rub it in Dov's face.

Blackstone grinned and nodded to Steve who then picked up the bag and left the office with it.

Gail huffed and glared at her retreating brother's back. "Cover those things up loser!"

"Weren't you in a rush?" Frank asked Gail.

Gail's jaw clenched. "So it's like that is it?" She had been totally screwed over. Dammit. Groaning she spun around. "Fine." She muttered and left the office.

Frank watched her storm off with a smirk.

Boyd and Blackstone watched her too.

Boyd shook his head. "I'm going to see if any of the other kiddies brought me goodies like that."

Blackstone waited until Donovan was out of sight before moving to stand beside Frank. "She's got promise. Think they'll be able to work together?"

Frank almost laughed. "Sure. If they don't kill each other first." He told the detective, amused by the thought of the Peck siblings working together.

"Shame."

Frank eyed the detective. He'd sounded disappointed. "You mean she didn't ruin your operation?" Which was what Jacob had been yelling about ever since Frank had arrived and heard about Lucas Daniel's arrest.

Jacob grinned. "This might actually play better than the previous plan."

Frank nodded, happy to hear that his officer hadn't compromised the detectives work. The undercover operation might by three months along but there had probably been months of planning before that. "Good."

"It is. Just don't let her know that." Jacob said as he made to leave. "Can't have the rookies getting too full of themselves."

Frank chuckled, he was going to read Gail the riot act as it was. And get the story behind the women that came into the station with her.

But first he had a bet to collect.

xxxxxx

A bag of weed.

That was all Gail had to show for her night long adventure. A messily bag of weed.

She slammed her locker closed as she finished changing back out of her uniform. She'd already stored Steve's gun in with her service weapon. She'd have to take it out tomorrow and put it in her gun safe. Steve could whistle for it before she gave it back.

First thing she planned on doing with it was taking it to the gun range. A weapon like that needed use, and who better to break it in than the better Peck.

Traci watched Gail leave the locker room and shared a look with Andy. "Someone's not feeling the love."

Andy laughed. "Sore loser." She'd lost too, she'd actually had less than Gail so she wasn't sure why the blonde's tantrum was so amusing but it was.

Traci sighed. She thought she'd done good but then Dov had emptied out his take for the night and destroyed her with money and drugs.

"It's just a bit of fun though, she shouldn't take it so seriously." Traci muttered.

Andy snorted. "Like you?" Besides the trip to the hospital to make sure the girl overdosing was going to be okay Traci had been all for getting as much contraband as she could. She'd played to win. Only neither of them seemed to have considered that Dov could have beaten them.

"Knock knock?" Dov and Chris wandered into the locker room already in their street clothes. "You guys ready? My shout remember."

"We remember, winner pays." Traci repeated. It had been a side bet between them. "Listen I need to go pick up Leo in an hour, can we make it somewhere close?"

Chris nodded. "There's a diner just down the street."

"Let's go!" Andy said, still a little buzzed from going out there and trying to get their hands on drugs.

Now that it was over she could look back and enjoy it.

xxxxxx

Rachel sipped her coffee as she sat across from Gail and Holly. "So this whole thing was some kind of hazing?"

Gail rocked her head from side to side. "Not exactly." She hedged. Only it was. It was designed to put the rookies under pressure and see how well they dealt with the orders they'd been given.

"It sounds wrong." Holly said with a scowl. "What they asked you and the others to do," Four other rookies had gone out to try and do similar things as Gail. She shook her head. "That was your superior giving you instructions that hardly sound legal."

Gail tucked into her stack of pancakes. "It's just supposed to be a game."

"Didn't feel like a game a few hours ago." Holly muttered.

Gail swallowed her mouthful and glance over to the other woman. "Sorry." She said quietly.

"Bitch please, your game was lame. I've been held at gunpoint. I almost laughed in your face." Rachel said and waved her hand dismissively.

Holly rolled her eyes and checked her watch. "How long are we leaving Lisa back there?" She asked her tablemates. There being the police station where they'd left Lisa in a holding cell. She'd fallen asleep as they waited for Gail to get back and getting her into a cell had been Rachel's idea, one Gail had quickly agreed to.

Lisa had sleepily walked back thinking they were headed to Holly's car. As soon as they sat her down she'd fallen back asleep.

"How about when she calls?" Rachel suggested as she looked to Gail. "She will get a phone call when she wakes up right?"

Gail shrugged and went back to her food. "That or a transfer to lockup."

Rachel laughed at that. Her laughter was infectious and even Gail and Holly were left grinning.

"She'll get you back Rach." Holly warned.

Rachel sniffed unconcerned. "I'll just blame blondie here. She's already afraid of her."

Gail smirked but tried to hide it as Holly tutted at her friend. "It is kinda funny." She admitted to Holly.

"Maybe."

Rachel unlocked her phone then held it up for Holly and Gail to see. "Now look at that and tell me it's not worth years of teasing."

Holly covered her mouth to hide her smile as she looked at the image of a uniformed Gail closing the entrance of the cell with Lisa slumped on the stone bench. "She's going to kill you."

Rachel chuckled and put her phone away. "Lucky for me there's a police officer that owes me a favour."

Gail scowled. "You mean locking her up wasn't it?"

Rachel shook her head. "That was just the start."

Gail's frown deepened.

Holly nudge Gail with her shoulder and sent Rachel a warning look. "Ignore her."

Rachel huffed but went back to her coffee.

xxxxxx

"What's up with that?" Dov asked as they eyed Gail sitting in a booth with two other women no one seemed to recognise.

Andy glanced over then dismissed the scene. "Who cares? Last night rocked!" She said then held up her mug but Dov was the only one to return her gesture. She deflated a little and eyed Traci and Chris. "Come on guys, we bossed it!"

Chris snorted still feeling ill over what he and Dov had done last night. He finished his coffee and stood, he had some errands to run, like a trip back to that hotel. "I gotta go." He tossed some money onto the table and grabbed for his jacket.

Dov chuckled and pushed the money back towards his friend. "I got this."

"Keep it. I pay my way." And with that Chris left catching Gail's eye and nodding at her as he went.

"What's up with him?" Traci asked.

Dov didn't know, Chris had been acting off most of the night. "Also a sore loser I guess." He picked up the money Chris had put down, it would do as a tip for the waitress.

"You guys wanna hit the Penny after this?" Andy asked eagerly still hopped up on adrenaline.

Traci rolled her eyes and tried not laugh. "I am going to see my son." She said then finished off her own coffee. "You two can do whatever you want. Dov, I'm not paying so thanks for breakfast."

Dov held his hands up, more than happy to pay.

"I will see you both on shift and not before." Besides seeing her son Traci needed to catch up on sleep.

"But Trace?"

Traci held a finger up to quieten Andy's enthusiasm. "I am going home to see my son, take him to his fathers and then I am sleeping until Monday. Do not call me."

"But?"

"No." Traci cut her friend off quickly. "Thanks for an interesting night, let's never do it again. Goodnight."

Traci left leaving Andy and Dov remaining at the table.

Andy pouted and slumped in her seat. "But it was so much fun." She complained. It had probably been the most exhilarating experience of her career so far.

"Being a cop rocks doesn't it?" Dov asked just as giddy over his win as Andy seemed over her night out with Traci.

Andy grinned. "Best job ever!"

xxxxxx

"So you're a Peck." Holly started awkwardly. She'd recognised the name tag on Gail's uniform. They could ignore it all they wanted but Holly was already very aware of that name and she'd only just finished her first full week at work.

Gail froze, used to many reactions to finding out her last name. To date none of them had been good. "Um, yeah. That's me Gail Peck, rookie cop."

Holly nodded then fell quiet again, clearly unsure where to go from there.

Rachel wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Well, I'm going to go check up on our little inmate. Nice meeting you Gail."

Gail nodded but didn't look up from her plate as the other woman left the table.

"I think I've met your mother, unless there's more than one Superintendent Peck in Toronto." Holly added.

"There are."

"Oh."

Yeah. Oh. Gail got a familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Holly adjusted her glasses. "That must be…wow, intimidating for you."

Gail frowned.

"To live up to that. But I guess after what I saw last night, it can't be too hard for you right?" Holly went on.

Gail felt confused. Was that a compliment? "I practically hijacked you and your friends with a gun in my hand and you what? Think I did _good_?"

Holly grinned. "Well after the heart attack and trust me, I'm blaming my lack of sleep, but I never really felt threaten by you."

Gail glared at her. "I can be mean and scary."

Holly chuckled. "I mean I wasn't in fear for my life." She added with a grin. "Unlike Lisa, who I'm sure will never forgive you. That's if she can remember anything beyond her last martini."

Gail grinned. "I'm sure I can sway her." She'd just keep giving her speeding tickets until she called a truce. "And Rachel seems okay."

Holly laughed. "Rachel has two children at home under five, last night is probably the most excitement she's had in years. She'll probably buy you a present. Or make you babysit."

Gail felt horrified by the idea.

"Maybe I can convince her otherwise, if they idea of small screaming children upsets you so much." Holly offered.

"Little children are nothing but tiny germ collectors."

Holly grinned.

Gail shuddered thinking about having to deal with two of the little monsters. "No, just no. Anything but that." She said shaking her head.

"I'll keep that in mind." Holly replied with a quiet smile.

Gail glanced away from those dark brown eyes. And unaccountably she felt her cheeks heat up. She licked her lips and cleared her throat before looking back at Holly who was still watching her. "So, that's your friends, how do I make it up to you?"

Holly bit her lip and glanced down at her cooling coffee. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

Gail felt herself smile and did nothing to temper it. She liked Holly. She just wasn't sure why the other woman was so willing to forgive her for last night but she was glad she did.

And she would think of something to make up for it.

"Just no guns." Holly warned, not being a huge fan of the things.

Gail smirked. "You'll just have to wait and see now, won't you?"

They both shared a smile and when the waitress came back over they got refills on their coffees, neither of them ready to call it a night just yet.

xxxxxx

 **AN/**

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Gail kept her head down still thinking over what Celeste had told her last night. Like her life was about to be faced with new challenges but to keep an open mind. What did that even mean? How much more generic and meaningless could you get? She was a patrol officer, which she'd mentioned early on after Celeste had told her that she was 'destined to work with people in need'. When wasn't a person in need of something when they had to involve the police?

Gail shook her head, those fifty bucks would have been better spent on doughnuts but no, she gave them to a crazy woman because she just had to see if her shitty run of bad luck was going to start changing. That she was desperate enough to even entertain the idea that a psychic would be able to give her some answers was telling enough, but Gail had sat through the full one hour session.

That made Gail the crazy one and Celeste the one with money in her pocket.

"All right people, get out there and keep the streets safe. Dismissed." Best called out from the front of the parade room bring Gail back to reality. A reality which quite frankly suck for Gail right now. She was back at square one with the other rookies again, and not only that but Boyd had been hanging around Frank's office the last few shifts and Gail wasn't sure if that had to do with what happened last month during the 'scavenger hunt' they'd given the rookies, her brother's on going UC operation, or the reason Swarek hadn't been around for a few weeks.

Not that she really cared.

Not when Boyd and Best had ruined her awesome night of adventuring.

Still…

Gail twirled her pen in her hand as the room cleared and she remembered what also happened that night. It was the night she'd met Holly Stewart.

"What are you smiling at?" Traci asked as she stood in front of Gail who was still seated at a desk despite Best's orders to get on patrol.

Sighing Gail put her notebook away. "What do you want Nash?"

"Looks like we're riding together." Traci told her only to get an unimpressed look sent back her way. "Highlight of my day too Gail." She muttered before heading for the car bay to pick up their keys. She was definitely driving today, she wasn't even going to flip Gail for it like she would have done with the other rookies.

As Nash disappeared and Gail slowly got to her feet to follow after her, she caught sight of Chris and Dov fist bumping each other. She rolled her eyes at their behaviour, obviously they had made up and were back to be the loser frat brothers that they had been during the academy.

Maybe Holly had been right during their dinner last night, maybe it wasn't so bad meeting new people. Aside from the gun, as Holly kept mentioning, much to Gail's embarrassment.

Gail was still trying to work out the best way to make it up to the other woman. Even through coffee get togethers and the few times they'd had dinner together. Last night being the first time Holly had invited her to her place. And right now Gail wasn't in a position to repay that in kind. Not when she was still living out of her car.

What she needed to do was start looking for somewhere better than a motel 6 to live in and then she could start thinking about turning around her fortune.

By the time Gail had made it to the court yard Traci was already behind the wheel of their patrol car and looking very much like she wanted to drive off without her.

Gail sighed and climbed into the passenger seat, only just managing to get the seat belt in place as Traci pulled out onto the road. "Where's McNally today?"

Traci glanced at Gail for a quick second before answering. "She's seeing about her mortgage."

Gail snorted. That was right, Callaghan and McNally were over because he couldn't keep it in his pants while working with his ex, and that meant McNally was looking for a new home too. Gail knew the feeling. But then it wasn't like the girl scout was blameless either even if Luke was getting the blame for it, Gail had to wonder if Sam was involved behind the scenes somewhere in all of that drama or if it was just a happy coincidence that Sam and Andy were both 'missing'.

"So how are things with…you and," Traci shrugged not sure if she should end that opening asking about Dov or Chris. She winced as she felt Gail's eyes glaring at her. "Forget I asked." She muttered wondering how she was going to pay Andy back for missing work today. Like it actually takes all day to sign a few papers?

"You're lucky you know, your life's so… _quaint_."

Traci's eyebrows hiked up. "Quaint?"

Gail sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Yeah, quaint. Solid, stable," Boring. "Not worth gossiping about." She explained although as she said it she remembered the teenage pregnancy, the scumbag baby daddy, and the rumoured 'affair' with Detective Barber while they'd been at the academy.

But that was all before they'd even passed their probation period, now Traci and Jerry were sort of a given, just like whatever Sam and Andy were calling their relationship these days.

They just were.

Even if they all seemed to want to add more drama than was necessary, like Luke and an engagement and baby daddy Dex who Gail wasn't sure if he was on the scene with Nash or off or whatever. They could keep it. Gail was done with relationships. Especially with people she had to work with every day.

Wasn't worth the back stabbing.

She'd learned that lesson with Chris and Dov. She hoped they were happy with each other.

Gail blinked realising a silence had fallen in the car and chanced a look at Traci. The other woman clearly wasn't happy with her description of her relationship status. "No offence." She muttered.

"Why would I take offense Gail?" Traci asked just as the radio came to life and Gail made a grab for the receiver as the call came in about a home invasion.

"Copy that, car 15-04 responding." Gail replied as Traci hit the siren and drove them towards the address they'd been given.

xxxxxxxxx

As they pulled up to the apartment complex they spotted Dov and Chris' car already there and both officers talking to members of the public. After a quick brief on what they knew about the situation they all made their way into the building guns drawn.

The initial report hadn't mentioned anything about a gunshot only that the suspect was still on scene. And if that suspect was armed, they were going in prepared to defend themselves if they had to.

Dov and Chris had spoken to the woman that had called it in, reporting that she'd heard gunfire and movement in the apartment above hers, apartment 202.

As they got to that floor Traci and Gail in the lead, Traci signalled to Dov and Chris that they'd carry on and clear the floors above them. Leaving the apartment where a potential armed suspect to Dov and Chris to clear.

Gail watched the pair disappear towards the apartment then took a breath and eyed the stairwell leading further up the building. She kept her gun trained and her eyes moving as she covered both herself and Traci as they made their way upwards. They had to check apartment 303 where the suspect had apparently jumped from.

Another set of stairs and they'd be on the third floor. As they crossed a landing Gail spotted movement and raised her weapon only to quickly realise that the Indian looking gentleman with a mug in his hand was unlikely to be their gun wielding suspect. She altered the aim of her service weapon and quickly signalled for the man to keep quiet then gestured for him to go back the way he came.

She shared a look with Traci as the guy retreated. Not their suspect but definitely someone they'd need to talk to when all of this was over with. She nodded to Traci and they continued towards apartment 303, guns out in front of them and fingers ready to move onto the trigger if it was required.

They stayed silent as they approached an open door. Traci paused at the entrance and signalled to Gail, there was blood on the wall just inside the apartment, a hand smudge maybe? What it meant beyond that was that someone either inside or outside of the apartment was bleeding and that it was very possible that it was gunshot wound.

Another breath and Gail took the lead, stepping into the apartment and following from memory movements that would allow her and Traci to safely clear the apartment and ensure their suspect was either gone or apprehended.

With the threat of an armed intruder in the apartment below, and the blood smear that seemed to be leaving this apartment Gail thought the chances were they were already too late, and if Dov and Chris had nothing their perp was going to be long gone by now.

Stepping from the apartments hallway into the living space Gail scanned the room with the barrel of her gun as her eyes took in the lack of a threat only to fall on the body of a man on the floor, eyes open and fixed, and a gun laid on the floor not far from him. She stepped over quickly and kicked the gun away just to be safe then pulled a glove off and knelt to feel for a pulse.

She didn't find one, not that she was expecting to, not with the blood she could now see covering his chest and seeping onto the apartment floor beneath his body. "Nothing." She whispered with a shake of her head to her partner. There was definitely nothing they could do for this man except make sure that his killer was caught and brought to justice.

"I'm going to check the other room." Traci said and carried on clearing the apartment.

Gail did the same, checking a bedroom before joining Traci back at the body.

"Door to the balcony is open." Traci said figuring that was how the suspect got into the apartment below. She'd glanced down and if a person was desperate enough it wasn't that much of a jump from here to the apartment below.

"I'll go down and see what Chris and Dov turned up." Gail offered needing a moment away from the murder scene. No matter who their dead victim was, and besides the fact he obviously had his own weapon, it was still a needless end of a life. This person had a family out there that now needed to be notified of his death.

Death notification were by far and away one of the worst aspects of the job. No one wanted you knocking on their door with that kind of news.

"And I'll call it in, I guess." Traci muttered as the blonde headed back out of the apartment.

Taking the stairs slowly Gail spared a moment to hope her brother was still safe and whatever problems her interference had caused him he'd worked around it. She'd never admit it to him face to face but he was good at what he did, and if it wasn't for the carrot top on his head he'd probably be offered a lot more undercover work.

But Gail already knew it was Steve's stepping stone out of narcotics and either into homicide or guns and gangs. If he pulled it off.

"So what did you two losers find?" She asked Dov as he came towards her wondering if he'd beat the dead body up in the other apartment.

Dov smirked at her as he moved to let Chris by with their home invasion suspect. He caught Gail's eyes widen slightly and grinned. "Nothing much, just a witness that already gave us a name on the killer."

"Yeah?" Gail didn't like the smug look on Dov's face. It was the same one he'd worn for days after the scavenger hunt.

Chris looked sombre as he shoved their cuffed suspect forward. "He said it was a cop." He told Gail.

The kid nodded quickly. "She's was, in uniform just like you guys." His eyes got big again. "Please don't shoot me." He whimpered.

Chris rolled his eyes and continued shoving the guy wanting to get him into the back of their squad before the detectives showed up.

"He's not serious is he? A cop did this?" Gail asked not sure what to believe.

The guy being lead down their staircase by Chris heard her and called up. "Peck, her name was Peck!"

Gail blinked and looked to Dov for conformation that she'd actually just heard that from the suspect's mouth as Traci joined them in the stairwell.

"It's fine," Dov told her. "I mean, Traci can vouch for you right? I mean, you can't be in two places at once can you?" Dov added quickly as Gail started glaring at him.

Traci chuckled from her spot behind Gail having caught on that somehow a woman cop by the name of Peck was their 'at large' perp.

Traci was sure Andy was going to be very sorry she decided to miss work today.

xxxxxxxxxx

 **AN/** Yeah, so maybe another arc to add to this fic? I'm sure no one minds.

Updates will be slow, verging on the never.

But thanks for reading ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

Holly knew she was in the right area when she turned the corner and police squad cars filled the street. She pulled up to the cordon and was scowled at by a uniformed officer as she lowered her driver side window.

"Lady the road's closed if you can't see that." He told her gruffly.

Holly kept her smile in place as she showed her ID. He glanced at it before grunting and waving her through. "Pleasant." She muttered to herself as she drove on and pulled up at the first space available.

Grabbing her things from the back of her car she remembered to clip her ID badge to her jeans and went to find out where her body was.

Once she mentioned she was the pathologist looking for the body her progress was hastened by fingers pointing her way. She was directed first to a building and then up a staircase until she was impeded by a uniformed officers stood in a doorway.

"Body?"

"Ah," Chris glanced at Dov who stood next to him. Dov shrugged so Chris turned his attention back to the patiently waiting woman in front of him. He eyed the box she was carrying. "In here." He moved to let her pass.

"Thanks." Holly gave them both a smile and cautiously entered the residence. A forensic team were already at the scene collecting evidence. She recognised a few of them as she came into the main room and found her body.

And Gail.

"Hi." Holly said to the blonde stood beside the body.

Gail turned from Luke to see Doctor Holly Stewart setting her kit down and kneeling next to the body of Kevin Reynolds.

"What have we got here?" She asked although her focus was mostly on the body she was unsure how to act at scene with Gail, surprisingly they'd never even discussed the possibility before. Holly didn't even know if Gail wanted her to acknowledge that they knew each other.

It was stupid. They should have talked about this before. Now Holly had no idea if she was going to upset Gail or not by trying to keep this professional.

In the meantime Holly just looked to the lead detective. Luke Callaghan. She'd worked with him on two other cases. He was safe ground right now because so far in her dealings with the homicide detective he acted like she'd always been part of the forensic department. Never even offered her a welcome or commented about her being new to the department. He just wanted her to do her job and provide him with what answers she could give.

"A two bit drug dealer by the name of Kevin Reynolds, shot once from the looks of it." Luke explained. "We've got a witness going to the station right now. Should be an easy one this time."

Holly hummed and eyed the body. It did sound like a relatively simple case for her. The cause of death did indeed look like a gunshot to the centre chest region. Death would have been in a matter of seconds. But there wasn't a lot of pooling blood around the body suggesting it wasn't a through and through. She'd have to retrieve the bullet. That would also provide a possible match if the detective was able to locate a suspect and gun to make comparisons with.

"Anyone touch the body?" Holly asked as a matter of course. EMTs hadn't been called but if there was another possible contaminant source on the body other than the killers she needed to know.

Traci smirked. "Oh, just the killer."

Holly scowled at the tone of the officer. Drug dealer or not this was a murder case and the deceased deserved a little respect.

"Not funny." Gail muttered to her partner even as Luke hide his own smile. She rolled her eyes at them then cleared her throat to draw Holly's attention. "I touched his neck, just to confirm he was dead when we got here."

Holly nodded but still felt confused because she was clearly missing something. As she glanced around the room even forensic technicians collecting evidence around the scene looked amused.

"Okay, what don't I know?" She asked giving Callaghan a look to fill her in.

"That Gail's went on a killing spree?" Traci commented earning more than a few giggles from those in the room.

"That's enough!" Holly yelled, glaring at her colleagues until they quietly went back about their jobs. She stared hard at Luke. "Explain." She hadn't dared look at Gail yet needing more facts. She didn't understand what was so amusing about an officer having to use their weapon.

Luke closed the wallet over that he was holding and tossed it to a slightly stunned looking Traci Nash. "Can you take that down and run it through the CPIC?" The information centre would let them know if Kevin was currently wanted for anything.

Gail shifted her stance as Traci shuffled by her. "Well this is awkward." She muttered to herself more than happy to leave Luke to do the actual explaining, which Holly seemed to be running out of patience for.

"That witness that we have, he got a look at the shooter." He explained to Holly. "He was in here with them actually, before he jumped to the unit below to get away from the shooting."

Holly nodded spotting the gun currently in an evidence bag on the floor beside the detective.

"When he was found by the responding officers he said that it was a cop in here doing the shooting, even gave us a name." And with that Luke pointed to a spot behind Holly. "Said she was called Peck."

Gail scowled. "You know I didn't do this right?"

Luke stood up and put his hands on his hips. "Oh I know, for one I woulda thought you'd be a better shot, two the witness didn't ID you as the shooter and three Traci and control have you in your squad a couple of blocks away when the report first came in."

"That's only at number three?" Gail couldn't help but complain.

Luke shrugged. "You're a Peck."

Now Gail glared at him but Luke just glared right back at her.

"What I'd really like to know Peck is why there's someone out there shooting drug dealers with your uniform on?" He asked.

That stole all of Gail's anger. "Oh." Yeah. Her uniform. She had three, one she was wearing, one that was at the dry cleaners, and the other she thought was at Chris' and would require a very uncomfortable conversation on her part to get back.

"I… I don't know." She replied to Luke not really up to explaining that her ex-boyfriend had packed her things for her when he'd kicked her out to a room full of people she had to work with.

Luke stepped closer to Gail. "Well you better find a way to explain it before the brass get wind of this." He gave her a look and lifted his eyebrow.

Gail swallowed at the realisation that once this was written up the second it was reported that a police officer, whether fake or not, was involved she'd be lucky if SIU weren't hunting her down for a few questions of their own.

Luke watch Gail's shoulder's slump a little and even had it in him to feel sorry for her.

"I can keep this quiet right now and if we get lucky we might have this solved quick enough that no one from head office has to get involved." He told her softly.

Head office.

Superintendent Elaine Peck is what he meant.

Gail snorted. "Why don't you just read me my rights?" It would have been safer than having to deal with her mother finding out about this. Talk about being the Pale Fail. "I'll go quietly."

Holly glanced at the pair in concern wondering what was going on.

Luke laughed and gave the blonde a pat on her shoulder. "Come on you can come interview our witness with me. See if we can get more of a description on the shooter."

Gail shrugged. Solving the case wasn't going to stop her mother's anger.

"Doctor Stewart, we've got some blood over here." One of the techs spoke up.

They all eyed the spot on a cabinet top located on the other side of the room from the body.

"That's too far away from the body." Holly muttered as she stood and inspected the smudge.

Gail's eyes lit up as she turned to Luke. "The scaredy-cat witness didn't have a scratch on him Luke."

"Okay." Luke grinned happy they were getting somewhere. "Maybe Kevin shot back." They hadn't checked the weapon on the floor to see if it had recently been fired. But he could get the forensic team to take care of that.

Holly watched over a colleague as he collected a sample they could get a DNA match from. "I'm going to need Gail down at forensics when you can spare her." She muttered to the detective as she kept her eyes on the technician.

If this evidence proved without a shadow of a doubt Gail wasn't involved then Holly wasn't taking any chances with it. She took the boxed swab and ordered another to be collected as well as she sealed the first one up and placed it in her own kit bag after scribbling the details on the outside first.

Luke pondered that request as Gail waited beside him. "Okay, we can leave our witness to sweat right now." He decided. "I'll have Epstein and Diaz canvas the building, see if we can get anything else to go on."

"There was a couple of cameras in the lobby, don't know if they were for show or not but…" Holly mentioned to the detective as she stood back up.

"I'll have Traci check in to that as soon as she gets back." Luke replied to Holly feeling much better about the situation than he had a few minutes ago. He turned back to Gail. "You're still going to have to explain how the shooter managed to get your uniform."

Gail nodded. If that was the worst outcome she could deal with it.

"In the meantime go with Doctor Stewart and try to play nice, then come find me at the station." Luke said before leaving the room to give Dov and Chris their new orders.

Holly eyed the blonde for a moment then packed her bag and told one of her assistants to transport the body back before asking another to check if there was anything to confirm return fire.

Then she put her hand to the small of Gail's back and guided her out of the residence. "Let's go Officer."

xxxxxxxxx

Gail drummed her feet against the steel of the bench she was sat on top of. She liked this room. It was cold and sterile. No germs.

"I could live here." She said with a smile as Holly looked in a set of drawers nearby.

Holly grinned as she approached with a little rectangle box. "The dead live here Gail."

Gail shrugged. "It's quiet." She answered back.

Holly, already wearing gloves, opened the box and then the plastic containing the swab. "Now say ah." She instructed before inserting the cotton bud end into Gail's mouth and running it over the inside of her cheek.

Once she had enough cheek cells on the swab Holly sealed it away again and scrolled the details quickly on the side of the box.

"You believe me right?" Gail asked quietly not quite looking at Holly. She knew what the swab was for and didn't know if she should feel hurt or not by Holly's need to collect evidence from her that was already in the system.

Gail figured that being a Peck was counting against her on that one. If she could get another officer to lie that she was in the car with them, how easily would it be for her personal details to get mixed up in the system and come back without a match? If she had done it. Which she hadn't.

But there were a lot of Pecks in high places and Holly was at heart a science nerd. Gail got that having collected and tested the evidence herself would allow Holly to believe whatever came back was 100% accurate and untampered with.

She just didn't know what this was doing to their friendship.

Holly smirked and moved back over to Gail, letting her hands drop onto the benchtop either side of Gail's knees. "What I know is someone dressed as a cop, with the name Peck, was seen shooting at the deceased and a witness that got away." Holly explained. "Said witness is a possible drug dealer that jumped out of his fellow alleged drug dealer's apartment. What I know Gail, is that when this guy realises he may be facing charges himself he could get really fuzzy about the details that he's provided up until now. And suddenly you do look like the shooter."

"And my word's not good enough?"

Holly offered a smile. "The evidence will speak a lot louder." She replied knowing that even without a witness the DNA testing from the blood at the scene would conclusively prove whether or not someone else had been in that apartment today. But that was science and not all cops liked to have that be their only answer in a case. "At least until you catch the perp."

Gail stared at Holly, having waited with surprising tolerance for the doctor to get to her point. A point that Gail was hoping concluded with Holly knowing she was innocent, even without the science to back her up.

"You smell good."

Holly paused and straightened. By the shocked look she was getting from Gail she guessed that comment hadn't been made consciously, but it made her smile anyway, especially as she watched a blush work its way up Gail's cheeks.

"Thank you. But flattery won't stop me from running those tests Officer Peck." Holly teased.

Gail scowled.

Holly giggled and took a moment to step back from Gail, giving her friend time and space to recover her composure. "I'll have the results in a couple of hours."

"So I'm free to go?"

Holly eyed the blonde as she hopped down. "That depends, is this you making a break for it?"

Gail snorted and adjusted her jacket to sit better. "Maybe." Because the moment Superintendent Peck found out about this her life would be over anyhow. She might as well enjoy what little remained of her freedom.

"Maybe? Then maybe I should call your supervisor, have them send over a unit to bring you in." Holly said unable to let it go. She didn't think Gail had anything to do with the shooting today but she was enjoying teasing the blonde.

"That's not funny." Gail replied. Just the image of Dov or Chris coming to take her to the station made her feel ill. It was bad enough already knowing she'd have to deal with Elaine, she didn't need to give the rest of her so-called friends more ammunition to use against her.

"So tell me, how did this person get hold of your uniform?" Holly asked. That was the question that had really been on her mind. The blood couldn't have been Gail's because Gail wasn't injured, but the uniform had Peck on it according to the eye witness which meant the uniform was real. And if it was real it had to come from Gail. "Did your apartment get broken into?"

"Oh no, that conversation is going to require alcohol." Gail told her friend with a quick shake of her head. She was already going to have to explain that back at the station, and then maybe again to her mother. There was no way she was doing it a third time without mind numbing liquor and lots of it.

Holly pondered that then took in the slightly guarded look on her friend's face. "Okay, well I should be done here by six or seven at the latest, meet you at the Penny?" She offered knowing it was Gail's usual haunt having picked her up from there a few times already.

Gail winced. Going back to 15 was going to be hard enough without having to deal with it off shift as well. No, Gail definitely did not want to go to the Penny later.

"Or we can go somewhere else." Holly added seeing the less than thrilled look.

Gail's cell phone going off interrupted them and a large part of Gail was grateful for the distraction. "Peck."

Holly shoved her hands into her lab coat pockets and waited for the one sided conversation to end.

Gail ended the call from Luke and tucked her cell phone away. "That was Detective Callaghan, the footage from the lobby clears me without the need for your sciencey mumbo jumbo. We now have a face we can try and get an ID on, Luke wants me back for the interview with the witness." She explained.

Holly nodded wondering if her offer for that drink was just going to be ignored by Gail.

"So I should probably head back." Gail walked towards the door then paused in the entryway, turning back to look at Holly. "I might not be done with this until late," Never, if Elaine caught up with her. "But if you still want to…"

Holly nodded quickly. "Call me, I'll come get you."

"It could be really late." Gail reminded the doctor.

Holly shrugged. "I'll be here doing my sciencey stuff just in case you need it."

Gail smiled a touch before scowling and sighing dramatically. "It's a sad day when the word of a respected police officer isn't good enough anymore."

"The public aren't very trusting these days Officer, but they do like science." Holly answered back with a smirk. And it was true, even eye witness testimony didn't help convince juries of a suspect's guilt as much as having DNA evidence at the crime scene that could link back to the person on trial.

Gail scoffed at that and started to leave. "Yeah, well I hate people."

"Should I withdraw my offer if that's how you feel?"

Gail stopped in the hallway and glared at Holly who was looking far too pleased with herself.

"I am a person." Holly added as the glaring continued.

With a disgusted noise Gail spun around to continue on her way. "You don't count Doc." She muttered loud enough to be heard.

With a shake of her head Holly watched the blonde go before going back to her work. She didn't understand the woman much, but she was enjoying trying to figure her out.

Because Gail hated people, but not her.

And because Gail thought she smelled nice.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9**

Gail took a deep breath as she closed the door to Best's office, his words and accusations still ringing in her ears. He was right, she should have been more careful with her clothes, especially her uniforms.

But what was done was done and all that was left to do was hunt down the fake cop now wanted for murder, get her uniform back, and then hope to god her mother hadn't heard about it before then.

If they could get this case over and done with by the end of shift it would be so much easier to deal with her mother than if she had to explain more deaths by a fake cop with her uniform.

She reminded herself that it was this other woman's choice to kill this morning. The uniform might have been stolen from the back of her car but Gail hadn't put the gun in this woman's hands, she hadn't told her where to go and who to attack.

The death today was not her fault.

There was a reason behind it, this wasn't some random attack in the street, this woman knew which apartment she was going to. That meant she likely knew the men inside. She knew the person she killed.

They might not have her name yet but Gail was sure that if they followed the evidence they'd get there.

It was just a matter of when.

"There she is, vigilante mama!"

Gail smiled at Noelle for that comment as other officers in the bullpen laughed at her expense.

"Hey officer Peck," Oliver called out as he spotted her too. "I've got a guy double parked over on Carlton, can you go issue him a ticket, with extreme prejudice?" He finished as he grinned at her.

"Ha ha." He was lucky she liked him. Gail kept smiling as she moved past the crowd towards Traci who was sat at her desk writing up her report from the scene while she waited for her to be done getting chewed out by their Staff Sergeant.

As she approached Callaghan came in and stood in front of Nash's desk with something in his hand.

"Nash here." He said handing the item over.

Traci scowled as she looked at the cell phone. "What's this?" She asked.

"That is Kevin Reynolds' cell phone, I need you to go through it, see if you can find a family member." Luke eyed Gail quickly before turning back to Traci. "We need to notify next of kin about his death."

Traci blinked. "Don't you have a file on him?" Kevin Reynolds was not unknown to the police.

Luke chuckled slightly. "Yeah we do, we just don't have any details on who his next of kin is, I'd start with the speed dial."

Traci gave him a beseeching look, she did not want to give a death notification on this case when there was a police impersonator on the loose. It had to be common knowledge by now that it was a cop that had shot Kevin. The people living in the building might not have been willing to admit to seeing what had happened but they'd know. They just weren't going to talk about it, especially not to the cops.

Gail smirked at Traci knowing the other woman hated dealing with deaths. Had done even back in the academy.

"Can you?" Traci asked turning her attention to her partner for the day and holding the phone out to Gail.

Before Gail could enjoy her moment of refusal Luke cut in.

"I need Gail with me so, better get started. Gail?" He went on gesturing to his office as he left Traci to get on with her job.

Gail just smirked at Traci and followed Luke.

Traci sighed before going back to her report. "First things first." She muttered to herself needing to work up the courage to speak to a family relative of the dead boy, she didn't enjoy giving people such devastating news.

Even drug dealers had family that cared for them.

xxxxxx

Gail closed the door behind her as she entered the homicide room.

"So, I need you to answer a few questions about the time you think your uniform went missing." He started as he pulled up a report form on his computer and started filling in some details. "Do you have any idea when and where it went missing from?"

Gail hopped up onto the filing cabinet behind Luke's desk and gave it some thought. Her car had been left at the motel she was staying at for the last few days because she was having trouble starting it. That and all of her worldly possessions were still loaded in the boot and back seats.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure." It had to have been since she got her things from Chris but that was over a week ago now. And her car hadn't been broken into the last time she'd driven it a few days ago, as far as she was aware. "Maybe last night, or the night before?"

Luke blew out a breath of frustration and turn in his seat to eye Gail. He needed better information than that.

"I really don't know Luke, if I thought my car had been broken into I would have said something." Gail assured him.

"Okay." He turned back around and typed. "Have you noticed anyone hanging around outside your apartment recently? A car following you? Just anything that might indicate you were targeted."

Shaking her head Gail couldn't remember anything out of the ordinary. Besides the fact she was yeah, living out of a motel and not a new apartment since Chris had kicked her out. She dreaded the thought of someone having broken into her car while she'd been sleeping in it those first two nights when she'd thought Chris was going to let her come back after he had cooled down.

Well that was going to change as soon as she was off shift. She was calling a realtor and putting down first and last on the first apartment that was walk in ready.

"No. No one."

"Gail." Luke gave her another stare.

"I would know if I was being followed Luke."

He studied her again then conceded that as a Peck she probably would be more aware of her surroundings than a member of the public would be. "Okay, but until we have this person in custody I need to have something to go on, if this was anyone else they'd be sat behind their desk until further notice." He reminded her.

"I know." Gail replied quietly as her heels drummed against the metal she was sitting on.

Luke went back to his form. "Where were you last night?"

"Last night? Why?" Gail asked trying not to blush.

"Until I know different I'm going to assume that this was a crime of opportunity, this other woman spotted your uniform, stole it and attacked two drug dealers with it on. Doubt she had it for long so maybe last night?" He explained. "Just give me a timeline, where were you? Where did you go, who did you see? For all we know right now someone might have followed you home."

There was no way anyone from Holly's neighbourhood had followed her anywhere and she'd left by taxi after dinner anyway.

But there was one other place she went to later last night.

"I was alone, visiting someone, but no one followed me Luke."

Luke waited silently. They'd eventually get his questions finished.

"Fine. It was a private dwelling on Hastings Street."

Now they were getting somewhere. "Address?"

Gail cleared her throat as she slipped off the filing cabinet to stand and cross her arms. "3-33 Hastings Street."

Luke paused as he wrote that down before lifting his head up to eye Gail. "Celeste the all-night psychic?"

"What, you know her?"

"Yeah, we used her on a case last year, missing person." Luke wrote down the information anyway. "You know she's not that good." He added as an aside.

Gail scoffed. "Yeah, I think she put a curse on me." She pouted. "I just..."

Luke watched her struggle for a moment before clicking on a program on his computer. "How tall are you?"

Gail frowned. "5" 7'."

"Weight?"

Gail came back around and eyed him curiously. "120." She muttered but when Luke lifted his head again she groaned and answered again, "130."

Trying hard not to smirk Luke ran the video he'd just pulled up. "The reason I asked about anyone following you is because of this," He moved slightly to let Gail see the screen. They both watched a woman with blonde hair and Gail's uniform walk up the stairs from the ground floor of the apartment block. "It was the only camera working, but…"

"Kinda looks like me." Gail admitted, then she smacked him on the shoulder there was no way anyone would mistake her for the person on screen. "Only not really."

Rolling his eye Luke picked up the case filing, it wasn't much so far but hopefully they'd have more information to work with soon. "Come on, let's go talk to Carson and see if we can get a name to go with the face."

Gail nodded, she was all for finding this kid and getting a killer off the streets before it became headline news that a cop was going around killing drug dealers. No matter how cool that was as a concept, to just go out and clean up the streets of this kind of scum. As a Peck, Gail knew the realities of police work but she also knew that there had been plenty of recruits at the academy that had thought it was exactly like that out there.

So, while people back at that apartment block would like to give this kid a medal for removing Kevin Reynolds from their daily lives, it was against the law to take someone's life.

This girl was a murderer and that made her no better than the likes of Reynolds.

xxxxx

By the time they had Lindsey Baker under guard at the hospital, her brother in the care of CPS and the reports written up and handed in, it was long past the end of shift.

Gail finished pulling on her boots and picked up her bag. It was a strange end to shift, she was still waiting for the Peck fallout over her uniform being stolen but when she'd picked up her cell phone and called Elaine her mother had, after a long pause, given her the name of a decent public defender to pass on to Lindsey and see if she could get a reduced sentence.

And just to add to the weirdness of that conversation, dumb and dumber had come to her asking if things between the three of them could go back to the way it had been.

Today was just all kinds of strange.

Gail stepped out into the night air and sighed. She wasn't looking forward to another night at the motel. She hated feeling so disconnected to everything. All she'd had before today really had been her work and some kid nicking her spare uniform and using it to go kill someone could have ruined that for her.

"Hey."

Gail lifted her head up and looked across the car lot, her eyes widening as she saw Holly standing beside her SUV.

"Holly I am so sorry, I should have called you." Gail said as she made her way over.

Holly shook her head. "It's fine, really, you said it was going to be a late one." She reminded the blonde.

Sighing Gail stood beside the pathologist still not sure what to do now. They'd talked about going for a drink but right now she wasn't feeling up to it.

Holly saw the exhaustion in Gail's demeanour and gave her a grin. "Come on, get in." She said easing Gail's bag strap off her shoulder and taking possession of it. Then taking advantage of Gail's slow reaction Holly opened her car and stored it on the back seat before opening the passenger door and gesturing for the blonde to hurry it up and get in.

Gail narrowed her eyes but when Holly just smirked at her she was a goner. "Fine." She muttered and did as she was told as the door was closed behind her and Holly came around the front to get into the driver's seat.

"Were you waiting long?" Gail asked as she was driven away from the station.

Holly chuckled before answering, "I might have cheated. I called to update Detective Callaghan and asked if you still needed bail money."

"Bitch."

"He let me know you were almost done, so I ordered takeout and if we get lucky we'll get there before the food arrives." Holly explained as she concentrated on driving.

Gail slumped back in her seat and hummed. "Food." She breathed out happily.

Laughing Holly shook her head at the blonde. She was still amazed by the amount of food the woman beside her could devour and stay in as good a shape as she was in.

Extending her lower lip, Gail turned and looked over at Holly. "You aren't teasing about the food are you? You know that's not allowed."

Holly smirked to herself and just kept driving.

"Holly?"

Ignoring the blonde Holly turned onto her street and into her parking spot. "I guess you'll have to come in and find out." She told the blonde as she got out of the car and headed up her front steps.

Gail huffed then struggled out, remembering to lift her bag from the back seat not wanting a repeat of her things being stolen from the back of a car again. Not a likely prospect in this particular street but Gail still wasn't taking any chances.

Holly opened the front door as she locked the car up after Gail. "Looks like we beat the delivery."

"Good."

"Or maybe I never called in the first place?" Holly couldn't help but tease the blonde as the lights went on and they both entered the front room. She laughed when Gail glared at her as the blonde dropped her bag and tossed her jacket over the back of the couch before collapsing onto it with a grunt.

"I don't even know why we're friends." Gail mumbled. She was actually too drained to care if she was going to be fed or not. She just needed to not think about everything that had been going wrong lately in her life.

Chris dumping her and losing what friendships she'd gained as part of that still hurt. Despite what they'd said to her at the end of their shifts, they'd never really been friends in the first place. They couldn't have been. Friends didn't pack up your belongings and leave them for you to collect over something that wasn't even your fault.

They'd be cops together, she just wasn't sure if they'd ever be more than that.

But after today it didn't seem nearly as daunting a prospect to say to Elaine that her relationship with Chris, aka Craig, was over but that she still wasn't moving back home.

Luke had called her powerful tonight. She didn't see it herself but she did know that nothing was going to change in her life if she wasn't prepared to take the steps to make things better.

And finding her own place to live was as good a place to start as any.

"Ah," Holly grinned as she heard the doorbell. "We're friends Gail because I _do_ feed you." She called over her shoulder as she picked up her purse and headed to the front door.

Gail smiled to herself but remained sprawled out on the couch as she watched Holly return with two bag and rest them on the kitchen worktop. She still didn't move an inch.

Holly quirked an eyebrow when Gail failed to come over and pick out what she wanted. Instead the blonde just continued to watch her from the couch. With a shake of her head Holly set about sharing portions of the food she'd ordered out into two bowls.

Gail eyed Holly suspiciously when she came over and offered one of the bowls in her direction. Eventually she shifted around to sit up and took it, giving it a careful sniff as Holly sat down beside her.

Holly handed over a pair of chopsticks and ignored the blonde investigating the contents of her bowl as she tucked into her own. It had been a long day and she was just glad it was over.

Even if Gail was acting like she was trying to poison her.

"Everything okay?" Holly had to ask as Gail kept poking at her food.

Shrugging Gail took a tentative bite. "I guess it'll do." She muttered after a minute and another mouthful.

Holly snorted and reached for the remote to turn the channel to SportsCentre to catch up on any news she might have missed in the last day.

"Hopefully breakfast will be better." Gail continued, keeping her eyes down.

Holly glanced at Gail then smiled, going back to her own late night dinner as she handed over the remote and settled back to watch whatever horrible movie Gail could find.

Not a bad end to a stressful day.

xxxxx

 **AN/**

Thanks for reading, we'll get to more Gail/Holly in the next few chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

As it turned out breakfast would have to wait.

Gail was woken early by a phone call from Detective Barber asking for her to come in early and help him out. She'd groaned but given the issue the day before with her stolen uniform she relented and agreed to go in two hours before her shift was due to start.

He hung up without even thanking her. Not completely unexpected given how inept he was with anything electronic but he had sounded tense. So Gail got dressed and snuck down stairs from Holly's guest room. She wrote a quick note and stuck it to the fridge with a magnet for the pathologist to find and left the townhouse after calling a cab.

Two hours later Gail had a box full of case summary packets all ready to go and she still hadn't had time to eat.

"Hey what's going on?" Chris asked her, as he and Dov spotted her in the bullpen on their way to parade. There was a lot of officers milling around which was unusual to say the least. Normally night shift were quick to escape the station but by the looks of it even off duty officers were in.

"Yeah, Oliver didn't look happy, did you steal his coffee mug again?" Dov joked.

Gail shifted the box she was holding. "Swarek went missing last night." She set the box down on a nearby desk. "He was working deep undercover and went off the grid. No one's been able to reach him since." She explained quietly. Most of the station would only find this out at parade but given what Jerry had told her about Andy's involvement she thought they deserved a heads up.

It was not going to be a good day.

"Swarek's a badass, he's probably hold up somewhere with the bad guys." Chris replied wondering why there was such a fuss, Sam couldn't have been out of communication for more than 12 hours.

Gail sighed and picked out one of the 'crime scene' pictures taken from Swarek's UC apartment. The blood was pretty clear to see. She handed it over for Chris and Dov to take a look for themselves.

"That looks bad." Dov said grabbing at the image.

"Where's Andy?"

Gail snatched the picture back and put it in her box. Of course they'd ask about Andy. "She's in with Boyd right now explaining why she had contact with Swarek while he was on a job. And if she screwed up."

Which was a given considering no one was supposed to acknowledge another officer if they happened to meet when one of them was working an undercover operation. They used code words and signals to keep from blowing the officers cover and risking something like this happening.

Gail grabbed her box and headed for parade.

xxxxx

The parade room was full of bodies crammed in to the space eager to hear what was going on. Rumours were running rampant from officers that had been at the scene and from the forensic side of it. Everyone gossiped, especially when there was a cop missing.

Jerry cleared his throat and everyone went silent. He eyed the room then lifted a picture of their main suspect right now. "Jamie Brennan, 48 years old used to be an enforcer for the North End guys, now he runs a trucking company." He explained to the room, showing them Brennan's picture as case summaries were passed out. They didn't have a whole lot to go on right now but what they had wasn't filling Jerry with optimism that they'd get Sam back safely. "He did a few years inside for smuggling and possession with intent to supply. But we didn't get him for any of the good stuff."

"What's the good stuff?" Noelle asked looking up from the case notes she was skimming over.

"Stuff with power tools." Boyd said from the back getting the attention from everyone in the room around him. "People he tortured, people he killed." He went on gravely knowing this could be the fate Sam Swarek was facing this very minute while they stood here trying to get everyone up to speed so they could go out there and find Sam.

"What was Swarek's role, what was he doing?" Dov asked turning back to Jerry at the front of the room.

"Sam was working undercover at Brennan's warehouse, making friends and seeing if he was still in the life. Seeing if we could maybe get him on one of those old homicides." Boyd explained.

"So what happened?" Callaghan asked.

Boyd shrugged. "There was a breach."

"This is surveillance from last night showing Brennan turning up unannounced." Oliver said as he ran a split screen showing the moment Brennan arrived from all four cameras they had in Swarek's house.

The room watches as Brennan asks about Candice and Swarek reply that she hadn't returned. Brennan then mentions Swarek's boat that was part of his cover story.

"Sam didn't have time to call in as this was not a scheduled meet." Oliver continued.

"So no cover team." Noelle guessed with a shake of her head. From this moment Swarek had no one to back him up if he got into trouble. He was on his own.

"No." Oliver confirmed.

They kept watching as Sam tried to put some distance between himself and Brennan by offering to drive himself wherever they were headed. That would give him a chance to call in and explain what was happening and get his backup on its way. But Brennan said they'd be better just with the one car.

Ominously Sam grabbed his jacket and agreed but not before staring up into the camera he knew was there for a long moment. Then both men left out of shot.

"That's it?" Traci asked in surprise.

Oliver shrugged. "We don't have cameras outside." And even if they did it might not have given them much more to go on, they already had a want out on Brennan's car and were getting ready to raid his home and warehouse. But if Brennan still had Sam alive somewhere it wasn't going to be in either of those places.

"Sam hasn't called in and Brennan hasn't been seen, so we treat this as suspicious until we find him." Jerry added.

Callaghan eyed Oliver and Jerry wondering why they hadn't mentioned something that wasn't in the file he had been handed. "Who's Candice?"

Jerry ignored him. "So we have Guns and Gangs taking up surveillance at his home and warehouse, so right now we need to focus on Brennan. I don't think I need to tell you how urgent this is."

Callaghan eyed Boyd before going after Jerry as he left the room. "Jerry, who's Candice?" She was someone both Sam and Jamie Brennan seemed to know so she had to be a source of information they could use yet no one was talking about her. "Jerry?"

Jerry paused in the hallway. "She's the breach." He told Luke in a hushed tone. When Luke just stared at him Jerry explained. "It's McNally, she was seeing Sam while he was undercover. Sorry."

Luke blew out a breath in shock as everyone started filing out of the parade room around him.

xxxxx

Oliver finished marking off sections on a map and turned to the officers gathered around him in what space they could find in the bullpen. "Were are just canvassing his neighbourhood, asking if anyone has seen him. No big deal, this has to be handled low key." He passed out copies of the map with different areas sectioned off that different pairs of officers were to cover.

"Excuse me?"

Noelle came over with a heavy box filed with more of Brennan's case files. "Peck," She said spotting the blonde and handing the box over. "Old case files on Brennan, we're looking for any old addresses him might be using."

Gail wondered at the 'we' part of that as she dumped the box onto her desk and eyed the fresh faced officer waiting to be noticed.

"I can just wait." He said with a wide smile.

Noelle nudged Oliver and they both stared at the unfamiliar face.

"What?" Oliver asked, having no clue who this person was. He already had his team together ready to head out, this kid was obviously at the wrong group if he was helping to search for Sam.

"Hi, I'm Pete Son." The officer explained with his grin still in place.

Gail leant back against her desk to watch this all play out.

"I'm here for my orientation day!" He went on with added enthusiasm.

Gail scowled then she stared at Oliver who was being glared at by Noelle.

It took a few seconds but then Oliver's face cleared. "Oh, man!"

Noelle groaned. "Come on Oliver." She grumbled then walked away. This was not the day to have new people around especially not some fresh face kid without a clue.

"Look I forgot okay." He called after Noelle but she just kept walking. "Whatever. Epstein, Diaz, handle it." He told the pair then followed after Noelle. They had leads to follow up and couldn't be stuck with a newbie tagging along all day with them.

"You heard him." Gail muttered to Dov as Pete Son waited with a huge smile on his face as the rest of the officers headed for their patrol cars to get started.

"What are _we_ supposed to do with him?" Chris asked in a quiet hiss.

Gail pulled out a file from her box and sat down. She was going to be at this all day by the looks of it. If she had to guess she'd bet that they hadn't really been given any of the important work that had to be done to find Sam or Jamie Brennan, but at least she wasn't going to have to deal with an eager puppy cop following her around all shift.

Plus, in a few minutes she could sneak off to the staff room and find something to pass for breakfast.

"He's here for orientation, so orientate him." Gail told the pair. She did wonder what area Pete Son was going to be involved with, regular patrol officers didn't have orientation days at their new station. For them it was called their first day as a rookie.

Dov shook his head. "Let's get this done quick and get out there to help."

"Have fun." Gail told them as the three disappeared and left her to try and find a needle in an unused haystack.

Tossing the first file to the side Gail reached in for the next one just as her cell phone vibrated in her vest. She could probably take that off as she was likely spending her day sifting through paperwork.

It was a text message from Holly.

 _You skipped out on breakfast? Who are you and what have you done to Gail Peck?_

Gail smiled to herself. She'd actually been looking forward to breakfast with Holly this morning. Stupid Swarek. And even more stupider Andy McNally.

And who in their right mind would have believed it took a whole day to sign a lease on a house?

Gail hadn't bought that the minute Traci had told her but of course she didn't really care what the Girl Scout was up to, only now there was no need to guess. She'd been screwing up Donavan Boyd's undercover operation by seeing Sam.

 _Sorry._ She typed back to her friend. _Lunch instead?_ She offered.

 _Deal._ Was Holly's response.

xxxxx

An hour later and all of the rookies were at their desks, Andy panicking over Sam, Traci trying to offer her support, and Dov and Chris manning the phones as they called Brennan's neighbours instead of going to speak to them in person. As neither of them were TO's they couldn't take Pete Son out with them and Gail had refused to babysit as Oliver had dumped the newbie on them.

Dov gave up after the fourth hang up. As soon as he mentioned Jamie Brennan the line would go dead. Chris persevered and Pete stuck by his side as he took notes.

Gail eyed Dov then tossed one of her files at him. If he wasn't going to be doing his own job then she was damn sure going to take advantage of him. She grinned to herself as he automatically started looking through it for any clue as to where Brennan might have taken Sam.

She considered doing the same to Chris and seeing if it got the same reaction but he was talking on the phone asking about Brennan. She eyed Andy and Traci but she'd already written them off as a lost cause. McNally was seconds away from crying on Traci's shoulder.

She tuned in to Chris' conversation when she heard the tone in his voice change as he threatened someone if they hung up on him again. She caught Pete Son's eyes and shook her head. "Don't write that down." She warned him before going back to her own file. Chris would be giving up soon by the sounds of it anyway.

Unlike Andy who wouldn't shut up long enough to help.

"We were driving around talking, we ended up talking about football and all I could say was what Oliver had been going on about the other day. Maybe that's when I screwed up." Andy lamented.

Gail frowned. If Andy repeated whatever Oliver had been saying then it was likely true so she doubted that gave Jamie Brennan reason to have made her as an undercover cop. Not that she had been which was a problem in and of itself.

"And then we ended up at the marina and I thought he was going to kill me." Andy continued.

Gail only just managed not to roll her eyes at the drama of it all. If Brennan had made Andy as a cop she'd be dead. Gail had learnt that much from going through his files since early this morning.

"But he just got all quiet and started talking about his wife and daughter, about how they were in a car accident and died. He was talking about how his past came back and how he wasn't always a nice guy."

Gail snorted. Nice guy was not how anyone would describe Jamie Brennan. But. "Yeah, well for someone who liked to torture people with pliers, he's been pretty nice these last four years. I mean he doesn't even have a parking ticket." Which was weird for someone with his background.

Dov had been listening as well and he looked just as confused. "So what changed? Why take someone hostage now?"

Andy shook her head trying to think. "I don't know." Even if she had blown her cover there was no real way to connect Sam. He still could have been someone she met at a bar.

Gail went over what Andy had said. "When did his wife and kid die?" She hadn't seen that mentioned in any of the files she had.

"Two months ago?" Andy replied a little unsure. She'd been trying to keep her cover story as Candice together at the time and fearing she was going to get a bullet to the head when he'd been telling her.

"Okay," Dov cut in as he sat back down at his desk. "Let's start there, I'll pull up the accident report."

Gail looked around at the group. Chris and Pete had made their way over as well.

It was as good a lead as any.

xxxxx

Luke glanced up at the tap to the window of his office to see Gail gesturing at him to follow her. He frowned, but as he wasn't getting anywhere with any of his CI's he decided it was worth taking a break and seeing what Peck wanted.

What he didn't expect was to be pulled into the parade room by the rookies and Andy and handed a file to look at.

"It's an accident report. Two fatalities, a mother and her four year old daughter." He wasn't seeing the relevance.

"Brennan's wife and daughter." Traci supplied the connection for him.

Luke shrugged. "That doesn't make me like him any better."

"That's not what we're asking you about." Andy cut in.

Luke glared at her. "Well what are you asking about? Enlighten me McNally, what does an accident report that's two months old have to do with our missing officer?" He demanded as he dropped the report down on a desk, waiting for some answers. This couldn't have been the circumstance that caused Brennan to abduct Sam. From what Jerry and Boyd were saying that trigger was Andy herself being made as a cop by Brennan sometime the day before.

Gail took pity on Andy before the tears started. "There are whole sections of this report missing Luke." She informed the detective. "There's no witness statements, no reconstruction report, no-"

"So it's a crappy report." Luke still wasn't seeing why it was important to Sam being missing. "It happens. So what?"

This time Dov stepped in. "It's not just a crappy report, it's incomplete, there's nothing here."

"Then you know what," Luke said as he picked up the file again and looked for the officer who signed off on it. "Talk to the officer who filed it, there, G Armstrong. Probably still works over at 34 Division." He glared at Andy wondering why they were wasting time with this when they were still all hands on deck trying to locate Brennan and Sam. "Or don't."

"Obviously we want to find him Luke." Andy muttered.

"I'll bet." He replied with a look of disgust then walked out of the room.

xxxxx

"We can't just go over there and accuse another officer of covering up what caused the car crash." Dov told the group as they sat drinking coffee in the break room and tried to strategize this out between them. They had been hoping Luke would have done the digging for them but apparently he was still hung up on the whole Sam and Andy thing.

Go figure.

So if this was going to happen it was up to the five of them and new recruit Pete Son to try and figure it out. Without Frank, Oliver or Noelle finding out what they were up to.

Gail didn't mind. The files she'd been given were a dead end anyway. They were just meant to be kept busy and out of everyone else's hair. Gail sighed and pulled out her cell phone as she listened to Andy try and convince the others that they should go talk to Oliver and Noelle.

 _Rain check on lunch._ She typed out and sent on its way.

She sat there with her coffee, her only comfort.

Dov suggested they just call Officer Armstrong over. Like that wouldn't go unnoticed by either division.

 _:(_

Yeah. Gail wasn't happy about it either.

 _I'll make it up to you after shift._ Gail replied to Holly then finished off her coffee. She actually was in need of real food.

 _Fine. I'm swamped over here and was about to cancel anyway, but now you owe me :P_

What a tricky woman that Holly Stewart. Gail liked her, she was way more entertaining than the rest of these rejects.

"Come on, we'll go over there and talk to them." Gail said as she stood, tucking her phone away. "But one of you has to go on a lunch run, and I'm not paying."

They all looked at her like she'd grown another head.

"What makes you think going over there will be any easier than having them come here?" Dov asked unconvinced that Gail could pull this off.

Shrugging Gail turned and headed for the lot to pick up a patrol car. They could decide between themselves who was driving her.

"I'm a Peck Dov, trust me, no one's going to ask why I'm there." She said before leaving the room.

She hoped they remembered lunch. She hadn't been kidding about that.

xxxxxxx

 **AN/**

We'll have Holly back in person next chapter.

Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

"So what are you going to do?" Gail asks as she enters the homicide room and sits across from Luke who was finishing up on his report.

"About?" Luke replied, distracted by the coffee that had just been placed down beside him. "Elmore?" He paused long enough to swallow his coffee. "He'll be up in front of a judge tomorrow, and he's pleading guilty so that makes things easier. He'll go away for a long time." He said as he went back to his report.

Gail stared at Callaghan for a long moment. "I'm talking about Boyd."

Luke stopped and glanced over at Gail.

"He covered up that car crash Luke, I don't care what having Elmore in his back pocket got him, he was wrong to do it." Gail told the detective.

Picking up his coffee again Luke gave it some thought. They had Sam back safe, Jamie Brennan on his way to jail and now they had Elmore over the deaths of Brennan's wife and daughter. Those were all good outcomes for a hard day of work.

"I can call my mom if you want?" Gail offered, not willing to let this drop.

Sitting back in his chair Luke sighed. "You know Sam and Andy are going to be suspended, at best, over this." He watched Gail nod. "Throw SIU in here right now and it's not going to look good on Frank or anyone else at this station."

"Except show that we'll do the right thing." It wasn't just Boyd, it was the scrubbing of the initial accident report that bothered Gail. That Armstrong had been promoted to detective a few weeks later was suspect, but what really bothered Gail was the fact that the car had been destroyed and the mechanics that Toronto PD still used falsified their findings. Leaving a murderer on the streets just to play snitch for Boyd.

This was so much more than Bibby skimming dope money from drug busts. That was just on him being opportunistic and stealing for personal gain. What Boyd did was collude with a murderer for status and worse, he got other law enforcement employees to be part of it.

If Armstrong hadn't kept a copy of her original report they might never have found out what Boyd had kept to himself. If Boyd was willing to do this what about next time? And the time after that?

"Hm." Luke finished his coffee and went back to his report wanting to get out of the station as quickly as he could. "Let me think it over tonight and I'll get back to you." He told her.

Gail glanced out of the window into the bullpen. It was still buzzing with the aftermath of getting Sam back. He was currently being checked over at the hospital while Brennan was being interviewed by Jerry. She could see Andy sitting nervously with Traci while Dov and Chris entertained Pete Son beside them.

"Fine." She stood. "But if the Superintendent calls me before you do I'm not going to lie about what happened today."

That was as good a compromise as he was going to get and Luke knew it. "Fair enough." Tonight Frank was going to have his hands full anyway. He'd speak to him first thing in the morning.

xxxxx

"She'll be fine."

But Gail didn't believe those words any more than Traci did, but there was nothing either of them could do for Andy. She'd put Sam in danger even if she hadn't been the reason he'd been attacked by Brennan.

"Yeah." Traci muttered as they both headed to the locker room to get this shift over with and head to the Penny.

"Maybe if I'd said something to her, stopped her going back to see Sam the second time." Traci wondered to herself as she got changed.

"You knew?" Gail couldn't believe she'd just heard that. "Of course you knew. Why am I even surprised." She scoffed to herself as she grabbed her bag. Traci had let stupid McNally keep seeing Sam undercover and now she was thinking that wasn't such a good idea. Gail left not wanting to hear any excuse Traci could come up with for disregarding protocol so damn much. But then what did it matter in the grand scheme of things, Traci had been dating Jerry since he'd been a lecturer at the Academy and Sam had been Andy's first TO. Neither of those relationships were okay.

It annoyed Gail because she knew what would be said about her if she'd been the one dating Jerry or seeing Sam while he was working on an undercover job.

She'd get reprimanded and reported for it, there wasn't a doubt in Gail's mind about that. Sure, Sam was just as much at fault in this case as McNally was but whatever punishment Frank gave the pair Gail knew if she'd been in Andy's place her mother would be here tearing strips off her.

Gail blew out a breath of frustration and knocked on Luke's open door before sticking her head in to spot him still at his desk. "You coming to the Penny? I need a few rounds after today."

Luke turned to her in surprise, he'd been avoiding the place since his breakup with Andy. "Wasn't planning on it, no."

Gail rolled her eyes. "Well I need a ride so I'll meet you out front." She told him.

Luke chuckled and gave up. "Fine. First drink's on you."

"Just hurry it up." Gail turned, leaving him to finish up, she looked up at Frank's office as she passed and saw McNally leaving. Gail turned into the bullpen and made her way out through the front of the station. It was starting to rain so she pulled her hood up and leant against the wall. She'd give Homicide ten minutes and then she was going to make someone else drive her to the bar.

As she waited her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. Gail smiled as she saw the text from Holly telling her she was just finishing up and asking if she needed a lift to the Penny or not. Gail sent a quick text back that she had it covered and she'd get the first round in.

As much as she was ready for this day to be over Gail wasn't in any hurry to go back to the motel, she had a few apartments picked out that she'd check tomorrow, her day off. She was looking forward to that, not the moving part, physical labour was not her thing and she had no one to help her. Steve was still working his case with Blackstone and while things were a little better with Chris and Dov there was no way she was asking either of them for help.

Pride was going to force her into the type of activity she'd rather avoid but if it was a choice between hard work or eating humble pie she'd break her back moving her own things. Of course she still had to find a new place to live first but almost anywhere would be an improvement on her current living situation.

A car slowed in front of her and at first Gail thought it was Luke but she spotted Sam behind the wheel. She watched it crawl along the side walk before coming to a stop. That's when Gail saw Andy stood there. A few seconds later and Andy was climbing into the car and they drove off.

Unbelievable.

"Peck?" Gail turned her head to see Luke now pulled up in front of her. "You want that ride or not?"

xxxxxx

Luke eyed the third drink Gail placed down on the table as she returned from the bar but his mind was still on the car he'd seen when he'd picked her up outside the station. He would have asked her before now but as soon as she'd sat down in his car Gail had messed about with his radio stations all the way here.

"Was that who I think it was back outside 15?" He asked as Gail had her eyes on her cell phone.

"Hm?" Gail lifted her eyes then her beer. She did not want to spend all night talking about Andy and Swarek acting like a pair of teenagers. Whatever they got up to off hours was their business. Her eyes scanned the room, the other rookies were only a table away having brought Pete Son along with them.

"That looked like Sam's car." Luke pressed.

Finally, Gail's eyes found the first bright spot in her day, Holly saw her a second later as she looked around. "This is yours." Gail gestured to the other beer bottle waiting for its owner.

"Thanks." Holly grinned as she pulled off her jacket and sat down.

Luke eyed the pair then picked up his own beer. "Didn't know you two knew each other." He muttered.

Holly grinned. "That's a funny story actually."

"Holly no." Gail's eyes widened as she realised Holly was about to spill to people she knew what she'd gotten up to the night of the scavenger hunt. "Not a word."

Smiling, Holly just ignored the blonde as she told the detective exactly how they had met. "Gail held me at gun point and carjacked me. Basically."

"WHAT?"

Gail groaned at Dov's voice and she dropped her head down onto the table. Of course the idiots were listening in. This is what she got for wanting a few drinks after a really long day at work.

"Traitor." She mumbled as she could hear the shuffling of chairs as the other rookies all crowded around.

Luke was amused. "Is that true?"

"Yes."

"No." Gail answered before lifting her head to glare at Holly. "Why did I even invite you?" She asked herself.

Dov couldn't stop looking from Doctor Stewart to Gail. "Nah, no way." He didn't believe Gail would do that, or if she had, that he didn't know. "Gail Peck carjacked someone? Not possible."

Holly laughed and swallowed down some of her beer as she found herself centre of attention. Now she regretted saying anything. She looked at Gail for some help as everyone waited for her to explain.

Gail shrugged, pleased not to be the one having to tell the story. Holly didn't know everything that she did that night so really, this was for the best. She'd make it up to her friend with alcohol and food later when they made their escape.

Holly glanced at the faces around them, blocking her in. She knew these people even less than she knew Detective Callaghan.

"You didn't really steal Doctor Stewart's car did you?" Chris asked as he stared at Gail.

Rolling her eyes, Gail downed more of her beer. Maybe she should be grateful he wasn't asking about having a gun on her at the time. "It was the scavenger night." She tried to explain. "Shit happened." She added trying to blow it off and end the conversation.

"So you steal a car?" Dov scoffed. That wasn't what that night had been about so it made no sense to him why Gail would do that.

"Cheaper than a taxi." Gail muttered then finished her beer.

Holly giggled. "A taxi would have been quicker." She told the blonde as she remembered how bad her driving had been that night.

"And quieter too." Gail replied and they shared a smile, both recalling Lisa's wailing and crying that night.

Traci didn't understand the laughter any more than it looked like Dov and Chris did. She also wondered why she hadn't heard this story before either. "You're serious." She realised. "You took Doctor Stewart's car?"

"Please call me Holly, we can leave the Doctor stuff for work." Holly told the group.

Gail drummed her hands on the table. "Well, I'm getting another drink." She said before leaving Holly to deal with the others on her own.

Luke watched the blonde leave and the questions start around him, he left them trying to get more information out of Holly and went over to the bar. "You know you won me the pot that night." He muttered as he rested against the bar as Gail tried to get the bar tenders attention.

Gail eyed Luke before scoffing. "Yeah right, Frank refused to count anything I brought in. I only had a bag of weed left, Dov won the scavenger hunt."

Luke shrugged as Gail finally made her order. "Frank was the one that handed the pot to me." He confirmed. "It might not have counted with the rookies, but between the rest of us, you did win."

Gail threw back a shot of whisky as she kept her eyes on Luke but he didn't flinch under her scrutiny so she figured he might be telling the truth. She pushed one of her shots over to him and swallowed her second.

"Doesn't matter." She said. It might have if she'd been allowed to show the rest of the rookies what she'd done that night but hearing this after the fact didn't mean anything. To everyone else Dov had won that night and that was it.

Gail walked back to the table with her shot glasses, she could hear Dov asking Holly for more details about her. "Hey Doc, you know Luke here almost ended up on your table a while back?" She asked Holly as she stood beside her as she set her shot glasses down.

Blinking Holly eyed the detective who was in the process of sitting back down himself. "Yeah?"

Feeling eyes on him Luke glanced over and cleared his throat nervously. "I pulled through okay."

"This time." Gail muttered with a laugh. "Go on and show her the scars, she's just _dying_ to ask."

Traci groaned at the word choice but had to admit that Luke had Holly's complete attention.

"This is what I get for helping you all out today?" Luke complains.

Gail just rolled her eyes and gestured with her hand for Luke to lift up his shirt. She hadn't seen them before either. She wondered if Andy had but knew that it was probably too soon for that name to be brought into the conversation. "Here, this'll help." Gail slid one of her remaining shot glass over as encouragement.

Luke shook his head, downed the shot, and then stood as he pulled at his shirt. He got a few cheers from around the table as he bared the scars. "No touching." He joked as Holly leant closer to get a better look.

"Gun shots?" Although it looked obvious, Luke nodded anyway and tucked his shirt back in. Holly was impressed. "Must have hurt." Was all she could say as her mind conjured up the torn muscles and how close to fatal those wounds could have been.

Luke shrugged. "Rehab was a bitch." He admitted.

Gail grinned to herself as she'd successfully shifted the focus of the conversation around the table as Dov mentioned Chris' stab wound. She met Holly's gaze as she swallowed some beer and winked at her.

"Impressive." Holly said as she was shown another midriff with a scar. Maybe if she wasn't gay she'd find this less awkward but she had her doubts.

Chris blushed as he pulled his top back down. "It was nothing."

Gail snorted. "Please, you cried like a baby on the way to the hospital." They could laugh about it now, but while they'd been trapped in that back room Gail had thought Chris was dying. She'd been desperately trying to get them out and get him help, blaming herself for Chris getting hurt in the first place.

The EMT that had first turned up had just grinned and told them both that it was going to be fine and only then had she relaxed.

"Cool scar though." Dov told Chris and tipped his beer at him as Pete stared wide eyed at the group.

Gail chuckled. "You'll get used to it New Recruit Pete Son."

Pete put his hands up. "I'm only following you guys around for a week, and then I'm starting in intelligence."

"Yeah?" Chris asked as he regarded the younger officer.

Pete nodded. "Although…I'm not supposed to talk about it." He said looking nervously around the table.

"Two years and all we have is a knife wound." Gail said shaking her head in disappointment.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Traci said.

Chris looked slighted. "That knife freakin hurt."

"Hello? Shot. Twice." Luke added, holding two fingers up for emphasis.

"You don't count." Dov replied but Chris then argued that it should still count as it happened in their two year time frame.

Gail leaned over to Holly and whispered, "Quick get up."

Unsure, Holly did as she was told.

"Well it's been fun but we're off." Gail said to the table as she handed Holly's jacket over as the protests started to ring out.

Holly looked grateful for the chance to escape and quickly finished her drink. "Yeah, long day." She said as an excuse.

"Wait, you can't leave yet." Dov declared. "We still have questions."

Gail huffed. "Can. Am."

Luke hurried to his feet as well. "Yeah, I was only dropping Gail off anyway." He followed Holly and Gail away from the table.

They paused when they got outside.

Luke pulled his collar up against the cold. "You know, you guys did good today."

"Except for that thing about the thing." Gail muttered.

Sighing Luke nodded as Holly gave them some space by going over to her SUV, he turned to Gail. "I'll call SIU first thing in the morning." He didn't want that on his conscious any more than Gail wanted it on hers.

"Yeah?"

He knew why she sounded shocked after he'd blew her off back in his office. "I gave it some more thought." He explained. "It won't touch 15, we didn't handle the case 34 did." Which was true. "It'll be a mess, and he'll likely get nothing more than what Sam and Andy got." He warned her, when Gail looked confused he explained what he'd been told before he'd left the station. "They were both suspended for conduct."

"Huh." Gail was actually surprised, she'd thought Andy and Sam's mess would have ended up buried. It was part of the reason she wasn't willing to see the same thing happen with what Boyd had done.

"Great. Better than knowing he can try something like that again." And it was. Even if all Boyd got was a slap on the wrist it'd make him think twice before he tried it again. At the very least SIU should recommend that his chain be tightened for a while.

Luke started to go, just as eager as Gail to have this day be done. "And like I said inside, you guys did do good. You did good."

Gail shrugged. They'd done the right thing. But they shouldn't have had to, Brennan's wife and daughter should have had their justice two months ago. "Well, I have tomorrow off so have fun."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah." They'd be down Andy and Sam tomorrow not to mention SIU would want to go over their findings before they went to 34 Division and started interviewing. "Good luck with that." He told her then walked to his car.

Gail scowled at his back but he was gone before she could question him any further.

Noticing Gail was on her own Holly drove over and pulled up next to the blonde. "Need a lift?" She asked before blushing. That had almost sounded like a pickup line. Not that she thought about Gail like that.

Gail got in and slammed the door closed. "How about you just keep on driving?"

Laughing Holly started away from the bar but towards her house. "How about my place?"

"I guess." Gail grumbled, clearly unhappy with that decision. She reached over to change the radio station only to have her hand slapped away. "Hey!"

"Gail, we've talked about this. Do not touch my stereo."

Slumping back in her seat Gail sighed heavily. "Everyone just wants to kill my mellow. So unfair."

Holly snorted as she kept driving. "I will try to make that up to you."

Gail side eyed Holly. "Well, enough about me, how was your day?" Gail honestly couldn't remember the last time she had asked someone that and actually wanted to know the answer.

"No dead bodies if that's what you mean." Holly slowed then pulled into her parking space and turned to her friend.

"Oh, careful what you ask for Hols." Gail warned as she stepped out of the car.

Holly watched her go before slowly following after her. "She's just a friend." She muttered to herself as she saw Gail on her phone, no doubt calling in a takeout order. "Just a friend."

But no matter how many times she told herself that, when Gail turned and smiled at her, the part of her that did want more just continued to grow.

"We're just friends."

xxxxxx

 **AN/** Not sure how much longer they'll stay friends ;)

We get back to some stuff that was introduced in the first few chapters and Gail might find a new home. Got a couple of months of unknown to fill. Fun times. Gay times. Yay!

Thanks for reading.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12**

With a check of the time Holly left the book she was reading down on the bench and went to her fridge. She pulled out the rested pasta dough and set it out on the counter just as she heard her front door open. She grinned to herself out of view and floured her work space.

"Why aren't you helping again?" Came a voice as footsteps ascended her staircase with a thud that was best described as grumpy. Much like the tone of voice.

"I'm cooking dinner!" She reminded Gail as she rolled her dough. The machine was already attached and after she was happy with the dough she floured it then gently fed it through the rollers.

Tough work.

The dough was a little soft so Holly folded it in over itself and put it through the machine again. Once more she folded it just to get the right firmness and then she lowered the setting on the pasta roller and fed her dough through. This time the dough was stretched out so what started as four inch by 10, lengthened by almost two thirds.

Steps heavy on the wood staircase announced Gail's impending arrival.

"What are you making me?" Gail asked as she popped her head into the kitchen. She still had crap in her car to move but she'd be willing to leave that if there was food on offer.

Holly, hands covered in flour, turned as she gave the pasta sheet another pass through the machine, again lowering the setting to produce longer and thinner pasta. "Haven't decided yet, I still need to make a sauce."

"Pasta?" Gail asked, stepping in to watch. She'd never bothered making her own, it was easier just to buy a packet from the store. "You're making it fresh?"

Holly shrugged. Cooking to her was like a science experiment, her mom had cooked at home and they'd spent weekends baking together. It was still one of her favourite things to do when she had the time.

"And you remember I'm allergic to tomatoes, right?"

"I remember."

"Cool." A home cooked meal was always a welcome event in Gail's life. "Do you need any help?"

Holly shook her head. "Nope. I've got this all under control. Why don't you finish unpacking, or at least finish dragging the rest of your belongings in." She told Gail sending her a knowing look. "And then I'll feed you." She promised.

Gail pouted. "Fine." She only had another two boxes and her large holdall.

Humming to herself Holly set about finishing rolling out the pasta. Once it was around 12 inches Holly cut the sheet as it came out of the rollers and placed it on the counter that was still dusted lightly with flour. When that was finished she quickly attached another part of the machine and set about cutting the sections into strands.

With a final dust of flour each bunch of strands were curled loosely into nests, ready to be dropped into boiling water. As they were so fresh it would only take moments to cook so really, most of Holly's work was done.

With a frown Holly wondered if Gail would be happy with just pasta and a light cheese sauce or if the police officer would need something more substantial to eat. Holly could already imagine the complaints about all the heavy lifting Gail was doing right now. And she had become aware of just how much Gail liked her food.

On cue the front door opened and closed soon after, closely followed by more footsteps. No comments this time however. Holly opened her fridge again to check what kind or protein she could add. She'd been thinking about cooking pasta most of the afternoon, although she'd swear blind it hadn't been brought on by doing an extensive check of a person's intestines. Nope. Holly wasn't admitting to that.

But she'd just be planning a big bowl of pasta with a creamy parmesan sauce melted with some butter. Simple and absolutely delicious.

She'd still make the sauce, Holly decided, but she spotted some leftover cooked chicken and some spicy sausage that she had. Either would work but she pulled the chicken out after placing the block of cheese on the counter.

The front door opened and closed again.

Holly grabbed a large shallow pan then put in her ingredients as she melted the butter, added the whipping cream and then grated in a good amount of the cheese. A lot of cheese.

As that gently started to melt she pulled off the lid on a bigger pot she already had some water in and turned the temperature up to get it to boil. After a quick stir of the sauce Holly started to cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces. As it was already cooked it would only need a quick warm up in the sauce.

A grunt and a thud announced Gail's return back inside.

"Everything okay?" Holly called out, still chopping at the chicken.

Another grunt and footsteps were fading away again. "Yeah." Was Gail's only answer back.

A few moments later the water had been salted and was boiling, the chicken had been added to the melted sauce along with some seasoning and Holly was almost ready to serve.

"Oh."

Gail ignored Holly, who had just turned and came face to face with her, and meandered over to a seat that she all but slumped into. "Done… no thanks to you." She told Holly with a tired sigh. "Now, I demand that you feed me."

Holly shook her head and fixed her glasses back into position before turning her back to her adorably grumpy housemate and started to drop the little nests she had piled off to one side into the boiling water. The freshly made pasta only took a minute and not much more to be perfectly cooked, and she'd made enough for both of them to have dinner with leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

"You had the whole day off." Holly reminded Gail.

"And I had to move all of my worldly possessions. On my own."

Holly chuckled, she'd seen Gail's loaded car. It could have easily taken several passengers.

With a grunt Gail got up. "But, just to show I can pull my weight now that I live here, I'll get the plates."

"How kind."

"If it means I get to eat quicker, it's worth the hassle." Gail explained honestly which caused Holly to laugh. She put the two dishes besides Holly and even grabbed the cutlery needed. "Is it food yet?"

"Oh my god!" Holly exclaimed as she turned off the hob. She glared at Gail as she plated the chicken pasta into the two deep set plates. "Gail!" She warned as she set the plates down and sat across from her new housemate. "Just eat your food. Wouldn't want it to get cold now would we?"

Gail felt a blush colour her cheeks realising she might have been pushing her attitude a little more than was warranted in the situation. "Sorry. Thank you for cooking, we could have just ordered in if you had a busy day." Gail said as she took her first taste.

Holly shrugged having already started on her own dinner. "I don't mind. I like cooking."

"I take that back," Gail replied as she swallowed and quickly ate another forkful. "You can cook every night if it's this good." She closed her eyes and hummed happily.

Holly blinked as she was caught up watching Gail reaction to her food. She blushed when the blonde moaned around another mouthful of her pasta. She ducked her head not wanting Gail to see her staring. "Take you time, there enough left if you want seconds." She added shyly.

Gail eyed the pan still on top of the stove then looked down at her plate debating if it would be rude to add her second helping before finishing off her first.

She pouted and stayed seated, it was her first night as Holly's new housemate, maybe in a few days she could act more herself. Tonight manners won out.

Holly could see the struggled and it made her smile. "It'll still be there in ten minutes." She told Gail before warning, "If you choke now, just remember it's been a long time since I had a live patient to work on."

Gail narrowed her eyes. But chose not to waste time responding to such a childish comment when she could finish her food instead.

"Hello?" Came a voice from the other room. "Holly you home? Your front door was open."

Holly cleared her throat. "I'm in here." She called out before smirking at Gail who was looking a tad guilty. "Forget to lock the door did we?"

"Not on purpose." Gail muttered and went back to eating, swearing to herself that she was going to completely ignore Holly's intruding friend.

"You have a visitor." Lisa said as she spotted Gail sat at the breakfast bench eating with Holly. "Oh, is that your pasta?"

Gail's head snapped up to watch the plastic surgeon lift the lid on the pan and inhale the smell of Holly's chicken pasta.

"Would you like a plate?" Holly offered.

Gail scowled at the uninvited guest gatecrashing her dinner plans. Whatever was left in that pan Lisa was eyeing it belonged to her. Holly had offered her seconds and she was damn well going to have them.

"Please, I've been run off my feet all day." Lisa complained.

Gail rolled her eyes and went back to her food as Holly got up and plated out some of the meal for her friend. "Still shocked the hospital was okay with your criminal record."

"That's slander Beat Cop." Lisa hit back not happy that weeks later this was still being brought into conversations. She wanted it forgotten about.

"I have pictures." Gail replied and grinned before she caught Holly's look of disapproval. "Whatever, I'm going to my room to finish this in peace." She said getting up and leaving the pair to it. "Lesson learnt, next time I'll lock the door." She muttered as Lisa turned her stunned gaze to Holly.

"What does she mean _her_ room Holly?"

Gail smirked all the way up the staircase and into the bedroom Holly had used for guest but was now hers and hers alone.

Holly shook her head as her friend continued to demand answers. "Just eat." She told Lisa as she handed her a bowl of pasta. She really wasn't sure which of them was worse, Gail and her childish games or Lisa's continued bad attitude over Gail's profession.

She'd tried to explain who the Peck's were in Toronto law enforcement but Lisa wouldn't hear a word of it. To Lisa a family of cops was just that, a family of civil servants that were wonderful for keeping the drunks and criminals out of her life, but that didn't mean you should be friends with them.

Unless it meant they made sure you didn't have to pay your parking fines or speeding tickets, but beyond that they were not even close to being in the same social circle.

And now Holly had invited one to live with her?

"What they hell Holly, should I get Rachel over and we can do an intervention? Is that what you need because this isn't you, this isn't the Holly Stewart I went to Med school with." Lisa continued.

Holly snorted from her seat having gone back to her own dinner. "Nice Lisa."

Lisa sat with a thumb. "Well what am I supposed to think here Holly?" She asked, genuinely confused. "We talked the other day, you never said a word about this."

Holly kept her head down. A few days ago Gail was living in a shitty motel across town and the only reason the blonde was living with her now was the dead body that she'd arrived to take away. She'd been packing up when she spotted Gail arriving, she'd wanted to call out to her when she first saw her but she'd been distracted by one of the officers that was guarding the crime scene. When she'd turned back in Gail's direction she'd seen her going inside a room.

She'd sent her staff on without her and gone after Gail, not able to leave it alone after witnessing her friend and coming to the realisation that Gail was actually living here.

Holly had knocked on the door and pushed her way inside before Gail had the chance to gather her thoughts at seeing her. She'd ignored Gail's discomfort at having her in the room and proceeded to inform Gail that she had an empty spare room and insisted she move in.

And when Gail argued that she wasn't after charity Holly had replied with 'Good, because I'm charging you rent.' And left to continue her work.

Gail had turned up with coffee for her the very next morning asking if she'd meant it.

And there wasn't a thing in this world that would have made Holly go back on her word when she'd seen the fragility in those eyes staring back at her.

So Lisa could say and think whatever she wanted. Gail was here to stay and her friend was just going to have to deal with it.

"Gail lives here now Lisa. That's why she has a room upstairs." Holly confirmed.

"You can't be serious Holly, this is insane."

Holly took her now empty plate to the sink and set it in. Then she turned to her long-time friend.

"Careful Lisa, Gail also has her guns up there."

xxxxxx

 **AN/** Now would anyone like to guess what I was doing before writing this? :D

Poor Lisa can't catch a break.

Next time, thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13**

Dov glanced to Chris to see if he would ask but his housemate scowled back at him like they hadn't been talking about this for the past few weeks.

He sidled up to Gail who checked her service weapon before holstering it on her belt.

"What?" Gail asked looking between the pair. They were acting weird. More than usual.

"Nothing." Chris said, a blush already covering his cheeks.

Dov rolled his eyes then checked his own gun was clear before attaching it to his side. They were about to start another day of patrolling 15 Division's section of the city. "We were just wondering," He started as he moved out of the way for Chris to take his place.

"Yeah?" Gail asked not really wanting to know what was going on with them. "Come on, spit it out." She added when Dov continued to hesitate.

Chris came over and stood at Dov's shoulder. "We were talk and, thinking, that, if you wanted to you could, like-"

That was more than enough for Gail, with a groan she stepped out into the hallway. "When you both get your act together come find me, or don't. No loss." She called back before almost stumbling into Oliver.

"What's up with them?" He asked, staring at Dov who was currently trading shoulder punches with Chris.

Gail shook her head. "Don't ask. We'll probably don't want to know with those two, it could be anything."

"True!" Oliver replied with a laugh. "Come on, you can sit with me." He told the blonde as they entered the parade room.

Gail was fine with that, it kept her away from the two losers and meant she didn't have to feel awkward about sitting with Nash or not. Since McNally had been suspended Traci had been partnered with her more than usual and it was just, uncomfortable.

She'd take one of the two losers over riding with Nash today.

"So what's with you?" Oliver asked her as Staff Sergeant Best made his way to the front. "Haven't seen you around the Penny in a while."

Gail shrugged and took out her notebook. "Just busy I guess."

Oliver gave her a look but was ignored as Gail took down what Best was saying. He glanced over at Dov and Chris giving them a subtle shake of his head.

xxxxx

"I'm telling you, something is up with her." Dov said as made his way out to the car lot with the others, minus Peck because she was working something with Callaghan.

"With the Ice Queen." Traci asked as she hefted her kit bag toward the car she was sharing with Oliver Shaw.

"Gail." Chris replied, not wanting to hear more name calling behind Gail's back. He thought they were all beyond that by now. "And this is Dov's idea, I think Gail's just being Gail."

Oliver narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "She's missed out on drinks at the Penny the last few shift. That is proof enough that Peck is un-Peck like." He pointed out.

Dov's eyes lit up. "That's it!"

"What is?" Traci asked.

"She's an alien! The real Gail Peck has been abducted and taken away." Dov explained with a grin.

Chris scowled and opened the driver's side door of the squad he and Dov were using this shift. "Don't be mean." He still missed Gail, he knew he'd been in the wrong about what had happened between her and Dov but part of him had always felt like they were on borrowed time anyway.

Oliver nodded in agreement with Chris and pointed to Dov across the top of his car. "You listen to your partner there my friend, or I'll make you clean out all the squad cars after shift." He warned.

So what if Peck had something else going on in her private life. They all find out eventually.

"Yes Sir." Dov mock saluted Oliver then got in beside Chris. "Aren't you still curious though?" He asked Chris as they buckled in. "I mean it wasn't long ago she was all sad a mopey and now she's all secretive and happy looking again."

Chris tried not to let that description bother him as he drove them towards their patch for the day.

Dov tilted his head and stared at Chris. "You both aren't back together again and sneaking around behind my back are you?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Dov,"

"What? I'm just saying."

"Well don't."

"But you'd tell me if you were, right?"

Chris just sighed knowing Dov wouldn't let this go no matter what he said. It was going to be a long shift.

xxxxx

"Why'd you request me?" Gail asked as she followed Luke into his office with a heavy load of case files they'd collected from the records store.

"Because you're good with paperwork." He said grinning at her.

Gail narrowed her eyes and walked over to the nearest trash can, taking aim with her arm load of documents.

"Wow!" Luke said, putting his hand out, careful of his own bundle. "Okay, I'll play nice."

Gail pulled the files back towards her and walked to the other side of Luke's desk. "You're learning." She muttered as she put them down and leafed through the first few pages. "New case?"

"Old actually." Luke replied as he took his seat.

"Yeah?" Which to Gail meant she would be checking all of these old case files for whatever it was Luke had going on today.

"Body was found late yesterday, originally put down to natural causes but our friend at the morgue thinks otherwise." Luke explained.

Friend. "Holly?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah, Doctor Stewart a text last night and an email first thing this morning, she suspects foul play. Poison to be exact, she needs to confirm that but these are all the cases involving poisons over the last ten years."

"And…" She knew exactly where this was going as she looked at the two piles.

"Well see," He gave her his best smile but she just glared back at him. "I have a meeting with a detective over in 27 in a bit so what I need for you to do is separate all of these files into ones that have something in common to narrow the search down when we do have more to go on."

Gail sighed and picked up the first folder. She'd have to scan a few before she could figure out a system to use. Either age or sex of the victim or depending on how many different poisons were suspected she could go that route.

"Coffee." She said when made eye contact again.

Luke tried to tame his grin. That request was an easy get for him. "Sure."

"And not that slop out there, proper coffee Luke." Gail went on to explain. She pretended not to notice the detective's face fall. She figured he didn't really have the time to get her anything outside the station. She smirked at him as she turned a page on the report she was reading. "Better hurry if you want to make that meeting."

Luke huffed. They both knew he didn't have the time to argue with her.

"Tick tock."

With a groan Luke hurried out of his office.

Once she was sure he was gone Gail pulled out her cell phone. "Holly? We need to talk."

xxxxx

Glancing up at the knock on her door, Holly grinned at the sight of her roommate holding takeout bags. And by the smell it was Chinese.

"About those tests…"

Holly shook her head. "Like I told Detective Callaghan, and you, these test take time. I can't make them go any quicker."

Gail pouted. "Then I'm not sure I should feed you now. This was meant to be a bribe, now I don't know..."

"Did I say I couldn't rush those tests?" Holly asked, snorting. "I'll have the results in an hour." She promised, her hand out for her food as Gail closed her office door and stepped closer.

Gail eyed her friend carefully. "You're lying aren't you?"

"Totally, but I'm starving so feed me."

With a resigned look Gail handed over Holly's usual. "It's your favourite too."

Holly grinned. "Sorry."

"No you aren't."

"I am a little." Holly replied as she pulled out the containers in her bag and found her chopsticks. "Tell you what, why don't I make it up to you?"

Gail eyed Holly over her own box of noodles and took her time chewing before asking, "How?"

"Well a friend of mine is-"

"Not Lisa right?" Gail cut in quickly.

Holly paused, gave Gail a look to be quiet, and then tried to explain. "My friend Rachel and her family are having a cookout tonight, no real reason other than it's supposed to be nice, and I'm invited." She said before taking a deep breath. "I was wondering if you'd come with me."

"That was a no on Lisa right?"

"Gail." Holly had been debating asking Gail for the last few days and given it was tonight, and Rachel had sent a text to remind her that Gail was welcome, she figured it was now or never.

"I'm just asking." Gail replied. "She clearly doesn't like me and Luke has a lot of work I could be taking care of instead."

Holly snorted. "Two words Gail: free, food."

Taking another mouthful of her lunch Gail tried not to sound too predictable. "A cookout? Like a barbecue?"

Holly held back a grin as she nodded. "And they have a swimming pool."

"I don't swim."

"But you eat."

"Fine, you got me there. I do eat."

Holly shook her head. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes." Gail replied. "I will struggle through a night out with only you and food for my enjoyment."

Holly felt her cheeks flush as she tried not to take Gail's words the wrong way. Maybe asking her housemate wasn't the best idea. Rachel had figured out her crush on Gail and Lisa was constantly saying bad things about her.

"You didn't answer me about Lisa." Gail reminded her friend.

Holly didn't want to touch that subject right now. "Just eat your lunch Gail."

xxxxx

"So what do we do?" Chris asked Dov as they both got changed after their shift. They'd had a rather uneventful shift, a few speeding tickets, two arrests for drunk and disorderly and a welfare check on an elderly gentleman who wandered off the day before.

Dov fixed the collar of his button down, then grabbed his jacket. "We could ask her over for a night of gaming and alcohol?" He suggested. Gail rarely turned that kind of offer down, especially when she wasn't buying the drink.

"Yeah, we haven't done that in ages." Chris said. The last time would have been while they were still dating. "You think she's really forgiven us?" He asked Dov as they made their way out of the locker room.

Dov hadn't a clue. "Who knows what goes on in her head?" They spotted Traci, who was likely waiting on Jerry to finish up. "You seen Gail?"

Traci shook her head. "No, I think she left already. Maybe you can catch her out front?" Traci hadn't seen Gail's car in the lot out back so she either got dropped off or she was using public transport.

Chris grinned and hurried toward the front entranceway.

Dov watched his friend go. He really hoped he wasn't setting himself up for another fall. As he got out of the station he saw Chris staring down the street. "Did we miss her?"

"Yeah," Chris answered, his eyes still on the back of the SUV he'd seen Gail get into as it travelled further and further away. "She got a lift."

Dov sighed, now they had to walk around the station to the car. "We could have tried calling her in the first place."

"Yeah. I guess."

"What?" Dov asked as they started walking but he noticed Chris looking back down the road again.

"Nothing."

"It doesn't sound, or look, like nothing."

Chris frowned. "Just wondering."

It was like pulling teeth. "Wondering what, Chris?"

"Just, why Doctor Stewart would be giving Gail a lift?" Chris replied before shrugging. "But I guess they really are friends. That's good. For Gail I mean."

Dov blinked. He didn't really believe that. In fact he had to wonder what Gail Peck and the new hot shot in forensic pathology would have in common.

"Are you sure that's who you saw?"

Chris opened his truck and chucked his bag inside. "Yeah, pretty sure."

"It's just, I don't see them as friends." He added as he got into the passenger's seat.

Chris frowned as he started the engine and turned them out of the parking lot. "Why?"

Dov chuckled. "Because Gail's cold and mean, that's why."

"Gail's _our_ friend Dov." He reminded.

"Yeah, but that's because we've grown slightly immune to her chill." He said with a laugh. "It took years, Holly's had weeks."

Chris thought about that. But not for the same reasons Dov did, he knew Gail. Knew her enough to know that she was abrasive to people but only to protect herself. If Gail was friends with Doctor Stewart it was because she wanted to be.

And the way Holly had smiled at Gail just now.

"Want me to give her that call?" Dov asked after the spent most of the ride home in silence.

Chris shook his head. "Nah, not tonight. Gail can go do what she's doing, we'll catch up another night."

Dov wasn't upset by that. On the contrary it was great news. "Rematch from last night?"

Chris pulled up in front of their house. "Oh, you're on."

xxxxx

 **AN/**

Thanks for reading!


End file.
